


The Workplace

by Kaokita



Category: Naruto
Genre: BDSM, Blow Job, Bondage, Fingering, Fluff, M/M, Masturbation, Penetration, Pole Dancing, Sex Club AU, Slow Burn, Stabbing, Workplace AU, but it will come, no smut quite yet, oh the smut will come don't worry, so much angst you guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-03-09 02:59:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 56,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13472316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaokita/pseuds/Kaokita
Summary: Naruto begins an internship with an illustrious design firm led by the intimidatingly handsome Sasuke Uchiha. They meet outside of work at the strip club Naruto works at and begin a dangerous relationship of intense passion and romance.





	1. Chapter 1

First day of the new internship, Naruto was feeling excited. A tad bit nervous, but mostly excited. The butterflies in his stomach only increased as the morning went on. When he got up, he quickly made his bed. He was always told, the day doesn’t start until your bed is made. He ran into the bathroom to brush his teeth, pee and then went and got dressed. His new dress shirt was hanging on the door, fresh from the dry cleaners from the day before. He slipped it on, buttoned it up and grabbed his pants. He laid them across his bed and suddenly remembered to start the coffee machine. He went into the kitchen and stared at the daunting black machine. It was a gift from his uncle, a congratulatory gift on the internship. He didn’t know a thing about how to use it. He supposed he would have to learn, being an intern and all. After ten minutes and several breakdowns, Naruto finally got it to work. He let it do its thing and went back into his bedroom. He slipped on his dress pants, pulled on mismatched stripes socks and ran a brush through his unruly blonde hair. He popped some bread in the toaster and when his coffee was done, he poured a shit done of sugar in his mug and drank it standing in the middle of his tiny kitchen. He had twenty minutes before he had to be at work, and it was a five minute walk from his apartment building. He was lucky it worked out that way. Of course, he had to be at the restaurant at 8 for his shift, a late shift again. He was starting to think his manager hated him. He always scheduled him so late, by the time he gets home tonight, it'll be almost midnight. Being up at seven was exhausting already. But this internship was his chance to get hired into a good company. He had to make a good impression. His future was riding on this. 

When he finished eating his toast, he grabbed his shoes, put them on, and headed out. It was beginning to get chilly outside, the autumn months were upon them. He liked fall, it was the perfect season in his mind. The perfect temperature outside, not too cold and not too hot. The trees turned such pretty warm colors, so many oranges and golds and yellows. Orange just so happened to be his favorite color. And after fall came Christmas and theres nothing better then Christmas. 

The walk to the office was a scenic one. He lived in the downtown area so theres tons of shops and restaurants and such. He noted the few coffee shops on his way, in case he wanted to stop there before work some mornings. He was new to the area, his uncle helped him move in just last week. He hadn’t had time to walk around yet, he still had classes he was attending after all. But he finished his finals a few days ago so his time was much more freed up now. 

The train ran along his right side, which was perfect for when he wanted to go home. He always loved the train, he could go anywhere. Anywhere at all. He liked the possibilities. 

His new office building rose up ahead of him. It was on the corner of the street, three stories and fresh, exciting architecture. It was a new building, the company was only founded a year ago. But it was doing really well. When he was reading up on where he wanted to intern after school, he read about the founder of this one. Young, twenties, handsome. They say the founder’s an elite socialite bachelor, known for his secrecy and mystery. The elusive Boss. He didn’t plan on actually meeting him, supposedly he rarely actually came into the office to work, but preferred to work from home. He was a little relieved when he read that, he didn’t think he could handle the pressure of working so close to the boss. 

He walked up to the front doors. The sign above the door read; Uchiha Designs. He smiled. This was it. No turning back now. He felt good though, this was going to be good for him. 

Naruto pulled open the door and strode in. There was a secretary sitting at the desk to his left. She had silky black hair, straight across bangs and a timid look about her. She jumped to her feet and walked around the desk. 

“Do you have an appointment, sir?” She asked. Her voice was sweet and soft. He was right about the timid part. She was like a small bunny.  
“Actually, it’s my first day. I’m the new intern. Naruto Uzumaki.” He held out his hand. She took it, blushing ever so slightly. 

“Welcome, i’ll lead you to your desk.” She walked over to the elevators. “Have you gotten the tour yet?”

“Ah, no,” He grinned, rubbing the back his head. 

“Well, the first floor is for clients, we have a waiting room in the back,” She pointed behind the elevators down the hall. “And bathrooms, too. Second floor is where you’ll be working. Its the mid level employees, we have the conference rooms up there too, as well as a few on the first floor. Third floor is for management.” She pressed the second floor button and the doors slid closed. 

“Do you like working here?” He asked. 

“Oh, yes, very much so. I’m just the secretary, but it’s very satisfying work. And Mr. Uchiha is such a genius, to work for him is such an honor.” Her blush deepened. She looked down at the floor and he could tell she was fighting a smile. 

“I’m sorry, what was your name?” He realized he never asked for it. 

“Oh, I’m Hinata. I work the front desk.” 

“Ah, okay.” The doors opened and she led him out. 

The second floor was a lot more open then the first floor, it was an open layout. Three rows of desks, and on both the walls where rooms, the doors all closed. “This is where you will be sitting,” Hinata motioned to the desk closest to the elevators. “There’s one other intern besides you working here, but she’s currently on a coffee run.” She led him past the desks and down the first row. “Most of the employees will be in the staff meeting. Theres one every morning at seven sharp, you’re not late or anything, they just started early today. Management likes to go over everyones projects, make sure everyones on the right track, that sort of thing. These offices along here,” She motioned as they walked, “Are the conference rooms as well as clients rooms where we meet with clients to go over what their looking for.” They walked past and he could hear voices, muffled, coming from the furthest room. “This over here is the kitchen and common area,” She led him through the back. A small kitchen and a few tables and a couch against the wall. Cozy. 

“Who exactly is my boss?”

“Oh, um, well that would be the assistant manager, Shikamaru Nara. He’s leading the meeting this morning. He’s the boss when Mr. Uchiha is not here.” She led him out of the kitchen. “Um, is there anything else you need to know?” 

“I don’t think so-“

“If you have any other questions, you can ask Shikamaru, or the other intern.” She gave him a sweet smile and left. He walked back to his desk and set his bag down on the floor. He wasn’t used to having a desk. It wasn’t anything special, a desktop computer, a phone, some paper and pencils, a stapler. He sat down in the chair and grinned. He knew he wasn’t going to actually get to work with any of the clientele, he would have to work his way up. But it was exciting. 

The elevator doors dinged and a girl with striking green eyes and soft, pink hair strolled out. She had four coffees in her hands and she looked out of breathe. Her eyes slid over him and she kept walking. Then she stopped. She turned around and stared at him, eyes wide. 

“Um, can I help you?” She asked, setting down the coffees on her own desk. 

“Oh, um, i’m the new intern. Naruto Uzumaki,” He extended his hand and she greeted it with her own small and elegant hand. 

“I’m Sakura. Sakura Haruno. I guess Hinata let you up here?” He nodded, feeling nervous again. He already felt like he was doing something wrong. “Oh okay then. Um, did she give you the tour?” He nodded again. “Good. Well, lets go into the meeting. Shikamaru sorta told me to keep an eye on you, he’s pretty busy with this newest project so he won’t have time to guide you. Hope thats cool.”

“Oh yes, sure.” He followed after her. “Do you want me to carry those?” He ushered to the coffees. She smiled and let him take them. 

“Its your first day so I doubt they’ll have you do much, just observe and get a feel for how we do things here. I’m also an intern, been here about six months. We had someone before you, but they left for personal reasons. I’m actually glad your here, i’ve been having to do everything around here. It’s exhausting.” She said, laughing. 

“Well, i’m glad I can help.” She stopped in front of the door that read Conference room C. It was the third door from the elevators. She knocked once and opened it and ushered him inside. He stayed close to the wall. She took the coffee from his hands and set it down on the desk and handed them out to each person sitting at the round table. A man with black hair pulled back in bun stood at the front of the room looking utterly bored. Four people sat around the desk. When Sakura was done she went to stand by him. 

“…Anyways, just keep up the good work and try not to bother me too much this week.” The man at the front of the room said, getting some chuckles. They all got up and shuffled out of the room. 

“Shikamaru, this is the new intern, Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, this is the assistant manager, head designer, Shikamaru Nara.” 

“Pleasure to meet you,” Naruto said earnestly. 

“Please, it’s much too early.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a sip of his coffee. “Sakura, be a dear and show him how to do things. I’m gonna be in my office.” He walked past them, groaning. Naruto peeked his head out and watched him go to the elevator.

“He’s always like that. He sorta hates it here but he's too lazy to leave.” She whispered to him. “Come on.” She grabbed his arm and they walked back to their desks. “I’ll introduce to everyone later.” She tossed back. 

“Okay,” He mumbled. 

“Um, behind you is the office supplies,” She motioned to the doors behind him. “Your main responsibilities are gonna be filling the fax machine, making copies for people, making spreadsheets of the clientele lists each week. Um, coffee runs, general office things really. People ask us to do all sorts of things, so don’t be alarmed. This is a design firm, so we have to do a lot of ordering, we have a rolodex of our preferred businesses we work with, i’ll show you where that is.” She bent over him, her hair fell down her shoulder and lay like a curtain around her pretty face. She logged into his computer and pulled up a file that read Rolodex. “This is where you’ll find all our contact lists.” She closed out of it and stood back. “Thats sorta it for now. I’ve got work to do, so just sit here and chill. We’ll go and get lunch for everyone at noon.” 

“Okay, cool.” His nerves were gone, and he realized how normal this place really was.  
He expected it to be a lot more intimating for being such a big name design firm, but it really wasn’t. He paid attention to what Sakura did, but also to the designers sitting around him. They talked to each other now and again but most of them worked silently. He watched them on their computers but he was too far away to really see what they were doing. At nine, a client was brought up to meet with one of the designers in one of the conference rooms. They were in there for about forty-five minutes. When they walked out, laughing, the designer walked her to the elevators and they disappeared. A moment later he came up, groaning and slumped into his desk chair and laid his head down. Someone at the desk close to his kicked him and made some comment that made someone else in the room laugh. 

At around eleven, someone came up to Sakura. “Hey, Sakura, do you mind running this up to Shikamaru, I have to go make a phone call.” 

“Oh sure. Oh, Neji, have you met our new intern?” She stood up and motioned to him, smiling. “This is Naruto Uzumaki. It’s his first day.” 

“Pleasure,” he said. The man, Neji, was tall and had long silky dark hair. He was handsome, the kind of handsome that belongs on movie screens or magazine covers. He wore a simple white button up shirt, unbuttoned at the top, black jeans cuffed at the bottom and brown loafers. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear and smiled tenderly. 

“Has the boss met him yet?” Neji asked Sakura.

“No,” She said, her tone serious. Her expression darkened but it only made Neji laugh. 

“Hm, okay. It was nice meeting you, Naruto.” He walked back to his desk. Naruto sat back down and stared at his computer screen. 

“If you need something to do, do you mind running this up to Shikamaru? His office door should be open.” She laid the stack of papers on his desk. 

“Sure!” He jumped up, eager to finally get something to do. If he didn’t walk around soon, he was going to explode for sure. 

He grabbed the files and headed to the elevators. He pressed the third floor button and waited patiently. Swanky jazz music played. A moment later the doors slid open and he walked out. The third floor was upper management. He entered into a common area, two swanky red velvet couches, a couple chairs and a coffee table littered with design magazines. It was a large area, a coffee cart was in one corner, very elegantly decorated. He walked past the area to find Shikamaru’s office. He almost walked right past it. Shikamaru was sitting at his desk, head down and snoring. He didn’t want to wake him so he set the filed down on the desk and closed the door behind him. 

As soon as he turned around, he was face to face with someone. He jumped, startled.

“Can I help you?” he said in a husky voice. Naruto felt his heart exploding out of his chest.

“Oh, ugh, no I was just delivering something to Shikamaru. I’m the new intern.” He stuck out his hand but the man ignored it. He was standing very close. He could smell his cologne. He was tall, taller then Naruto. He had dark hair he wore parted on one side, slightly in his eyes. He was pale, with dark almost black eyes. He was incredibly good looking. He wore a tailored suit and had a cup of coffee in one hand, a tablet in the other. 

“Hm,” was all he said. He raised a brow as if expecting something. Naruto stood there, as if frozen. “Are you going to move?” He snapped. Naruto jumped out of the way, stammering out an apology. The man ignored him and walked into the office. He shut the door behind him and Naruto let out a breathe he didn’t know he’d been holding in. 

He headed back down to the second floor. Sakura was busy typing, she didn’t even look up when he sat down. He wanted to ask her who that man was, but he didn’t want to say what happened. 

He felt stupid, for some reason. 

“Time for lunch!” Sakura announced pleasantly twenty minutes later. “Are you okay? You look deep in thought.” 

“Oh, no,” He lied. “iIt’s nothing.” 

“Okay then. I’ll go get everyones order and then we’ll head out.” He nodded and closed down his computer. He watched her walk around to each persons desk. She was friendly and made people laugh easily. He couldn’t tell if she was actually flirting with them or that was just how she was. When she came back, she looked refreshed. “Okay, lets go!” She grabbed her bag and they headed out. 

“Where are we going?” He asked. 

“There’s this sandwich shop around the corner we go to a lot. It’s good, I promise.” She pressed the third floor button in the elevator. 

“Ugh, aren’t we supposed to be going down?” He asked.  
“I gotta get the company card, also I want to see if Shikamaru wants anything. And Sasuke if he’s here.” First name basis with the boss? 

The doors opened and there he was. He was sitting on the couch, magazine open in his lap, his tablet open beside him. Shikamaru was sitting across from him, his phone out and he was typing like mad. 

“Afternoon, Mr. Uchiha!” Sakura called out. “Shikamaru,” She turned to him without pausing. “We’re going to get lunch. Did you want something?”

“Yeah, do you have the list?” Sakura produced the list and he jotted his order down then reached into his wallet and handed her the list and a black credit card. “Thanks,” He mumbled.

“Oh, Sasuke, did you meet our intern yet? He’s new, just started today.” First name basis again? She went from calling him formally, to using his first name. Strange. 

“No, I haven’t had the pleasure,” He stood up. Yep. Definitely the same person he ran into half an hour ago. He didn’t know why, but he felt nervous. 

“Hi, I’m Naruto Uzumaki.” He extended his hand and Sasuke matched it with his own. His grip was firm but the handshake was brief. “I’m really looking forward to working here, under you-For you.” He stammered out. He felt himself blush. Why did he say that? And why did he correct himself? He definitely drew attention to it by correcting it. 

Sakura giggled. “We should go. Did you want us to get you something?” 

“No, thank you.” Sasuke muttered, sitting back down. Naruto felt Sasuke's eyes boring into his back as he walked into the elevator. When he turned around, however, Sasuke was talking to Shikamaru. Maybe it was all in his head. 

They went and grabbed the food and brought it back. For some reason, he offered to bring Shikamaru’s upstairs. When he got to the third floor, Sasuke was gone and Shikamaru alone in his office. He went back downstairs. For some great unknown reason, he felt just a tinge of disappointment. 

When the day finally came to an end, Sakura invited him to come drinking with them at the bar across the street. 

“Oh, I can’t. I have to work.”  
“You have another job?” She asked, looking surprised. 

“Yeah, I support myself and this internship doesn’t pay enough for me to live off. It’s only a couple times a week. But next time you go, I’d love to join.” 

“Okay then! Have a good night!” He said goodbye at the front doors and headed home. He had some time to kill before his shift so he went home and crashed on the couch for a few hours. 

When he woke up, he felt like death. It was dark out. He had an hour before shift. He took a quick shower and dressed in his uniform, all black. He took the train two stops, got off and headed towards the restaurant. Restaurant actually might be a bad word to describe it. It wasn’t so much a restaurant as a nightclub. A gay strip club. He started working there when his friend offered to get him an interview his second year of school. He didn’t go because he liked it, wasn’t really his taste, but they paid well. he didn’t dance, he was a waiter. But he did get nice tips from the patrons. It wasn’t a bad job, actually. The staff were all really cool and they had really cool themed nights. The customers could get a bit handsy, but most of them were pretty chill. He hated his boss, but who didn’t? 

He grabbed his apron from his locker and slammed it shut. 

“How was the first day at the new gig?” Kiba asked from beside him. Kiba was one of the dancers. He also did private showings, but tonight he was strictly pole. He wore a black thong, which barely covered anything, and a white bib with a black bowtie. He had his brown hair slicked back and he was rubbing oil along his defined pecks. He was popular with customers for his animal like dances. It wouldn't surprise Naruto if Kiba was secretly a furry. 

“Oh, it went well. My boss is a little cold, but the other intern is really nice.” 

“Thats great!” Kiba said. “Do you mind?” He handed him the bottle of oil. Naruto poured some in his hand and helped him get his back. He did this too, helped get the dancers ready for their shows. “Is she cute?” He asked. 

“You know I don’t date coworkers.” He paused. “But yes, she’s cute.” 

“Do you want to fuck her?” Kiba asked, turning around and handing him a towel to wipe the oil from his hands. 

“I mean, I wouldn’t say no. But like I said, I don’t date my coworkers.” 

“You don’t date anyone,” Kiba pointed out.

“Thats not true-“

“Just come dance for us, just one night!” Kiba pleaded. This was how all their conversations ended. He always wanted to get him on the pole. He flicked Kiba’s forehead and grinned. 

“Not gonna happen, dog boy.” Kiba pouted. “Gotta go, my shifts starting.” He left then and headed to the kitchens. 

“Oh, Naruto! Good, you’re here. Can you take this to table seven?” Kankuro asked from the back. 

“Okay!” He called, taking the tray. It was three beers and a plate of fries. He weaved between the tables of the main floor. The lights were already dimmed and the first performer was on stage. They had three poles throughout the room, but since it was a Monday, they only had one dancer working at a time. There was half a dozen people tonight, not bad for being so early on a Monday. 

He set the tray down at table seven and handed out the drinks. 

“Hows your night going, fellas?” He asked, jutting out his hip and giving them a wink. He wasn’t going to lie, he worked the customers to get better tips. He wasn’t proud of it, but it earned him extra cash every night. 

“Better now that you’re here,” The man said. He was younger, slicked back blonde hair and he wore a nice suit. The man next to him had his head down. He looked oddly familiar, but ti was too dark to really tell. 

“Are you enjoying the show? Gaara really is a treat,” He said. Gaara was onstage, doing his usual routine. He played it safe, he was a lot more conservative then the other dancers. Kiba usually left the stage completely naked. 

“Rather see you up there,” The blonde man teased. He smacked Naruto’s ass, which made him chuckle, but casually backed away. 

“Oh I don’t dance, trust me, it would not be pretty. If I can get you anything else, please just say the word.” He was about to go when he figured out how he knew the gentlemen in the middle. He stopped mid walk and leaned over to get a better look. “Um, excuse me?” The man refused to look up. His dark hair fell in his eyes but he wasn’t hard to place now. “It is you! Mr. Uchiha!” Sasuke's head shot up and his eyes were wide with surprise. His cheeks were burning red and he looked downright horrified that Naruto recognized him. Naruto didn’t get a chance to feel the same twinge of embarrassment at being found out by someone he knew, let alone his boss. Sasuke jumped to his feet, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him to the back. They found a dark corner and he cornered him like a wild animal. He felt a tad bit afraid in that moment. He didn’t tell anyone about where he worked because he didn’t want to get judged for it. But to be found out by his boss, of all people, was humiliating. 

“What are you doing here?” Naruto asked him. 

“I should ask you the same thing. You work for me, what are you doing working in a place like this?” 

“I’ve been working here for two years. it pays well. I didn’t think it would interfere with my internship.” He was half pleading, he didn’t want to have to quit. He also didn’t want to get fired from his internship after only one day. "But why are you here? This doesn't seem like your kinda scene." Truth was, he had no idea what kind of scene Sasuke visited. He met him for like two minutes. But whatever, he was curious. 

“My friends dragged me here.” He said, sounding very defensive. “Not that its of your concern.” 

“I swear, I won’t tell anyone.” 

Sasuke looked him up and down then narrowed his eyes. He placed his hand behind Naruto’s head and leaned in close. He could smell mint on his breathe. His heart started beating like crazy. What was this feeling? 

“If you say anything to anyone about this, you’re done. But," He paused for a beat then said, "I won’t tell anyone either.”  
“Okay,” Naruto whispered. Sasuke dropped his hand, adjusted his jacket, cleared his throat and walked out. His friends ignored him. 

Naruto finished his shift quickly, but the entire time he thought about Sasuke. Every time he did, he got hot and clammy and nervous. He really hoped he didn’t get fired tomorrow morning. He was just starting, to get fired this early on was an epic embarrassment. Also the fact that his boss found out about his side gig was so humiliating, he didn't even know if he wanted to continue to work there. Every time he thought about it, he freaked out and had to run outside. The night couldn't end sooner.

When his shift was finally over, he hurried home, ignoring the pleads of the dancers to go out drinking. He lied, saying he had an early day and he had to get some sleep. He was really going home to mull over what happened today. And maybe get some sleep. 

The next day, he walked into the office with an intense case of anxiety. But nothing happened. Nine rolled around and no sign of the boss. It was like nothing happened. He felt relieved. He listened to Sakura tell him how to do things, helped her around the office. When work got out, he agreed to go out for drinks since he didn’t have to work. 

They headed across the street to the bar. This was the first time he’s been out in so long, the smell of beer soaked tables, sweat and grime filled his senses and put him at ease. Sakura grabbed them a table and Neji went to get drinks. It was him, Sakura, Neji, Tenten, and Shino. Neji, Tenten and Shino were designers, he knew that much. He met Neji already, but he hadn’t met the other two until they walked over. 

“So you just finished school, right Naruto?” Tenten asked. 

“Do you want a tab open?” The bartender asked. 

“Yes, please. Um, yeah I finished last week actually.” The bartender laid out the tray of shots and beer glasses and he carefully picked it up and they walked to the table Sakura had picked out. 

“I miss school, I loved going,” She said dreamily. 

“Ten, you went to community college, it’s not really the same thing,” Neji pointed out.  
“Shut up, it is too.” She leaned forward on her elbows and smiled at him. He felt flushed, having someone so pretty staring at him so intensely. “Do you have a girlfriend?” 

He choked on his beer. She laughed, as did the others. He grabbed a napkin and wiped the spit out beer from his chin. His heart was pounding, he hated answering these kinds of invasive questions. 

“Ugh, no, I don’t.” He prayed they didn’t pry further. He hadn’t had the best of luck in the dating area while in school. He met a few girls here and there but nothing ever panned out. He was, sadly, still a virgin. He didn’t really care, he knew he would meet someone eventually. It was only a matter of time. And besides, he handled his needs himself with no problem. 

“Well, I might be able to set you up with someone-“

“Tenten, remember what happened last time?” Neji said. What happened last time? He was curious. 

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” She said, sitting back. He felt like he was released from a spell, he could breathe again. 

“Guys, don’t be so aggressive, we want him to stay,” Sakura said, smiling. Naruto sipped his beer, grateful to have an ally. 

“Oh, right,” Tenten said then grinned brightly. “Well, I happen to think i'm a pretty good match maker. I matched-“

“Tenten! Why don’t we go to the bathroom?” Sakura interrupted, jumping to her feet. Everyone at the table looked startled, but Tenten just rolled her eyes and walked to the bathrooms with Sakura. 

“What was that all about?” He asked. 

“It’s nothing, just office rumors,” Neji said. He leaned back in his chair and sipped his beer. “Just ignore it. Oh, Shino,” He turned to Shino who hadn’t really said much yet. “Did you get in contact with the carpenter yet?” 

“Yes, this morning. He’s coming by tomorrow around three.” 

“Oh perfect, thanks.” They started talking about work and Naruto tuned them out, a little bored. He was curious about the profession, but they were talking about things he didn’t quite understand. 

“Oh, Naruto,” Neji turned back to him. In the dim lighting of the bar, he looked especially handsome. His hair was pulled up in a bun, he had a few strands of hair framing his face and his wide, grey eyes were illuminated by the lighting. He felt weird noticing such things about a guy, but anyone would. “Sakura mentioned you work part time at a restaurant downtown, is that right? I worked as a server for a few years while I went to school.” 

“Oh, yeah, I do.” This was another part of his life he tried to hide. He didn’t like all the questions he got, or the assumptions made. He didn’t care if people thought he was gay, but it was easier if no one knew. He liked to avoid those sorts of accusations. 

“Cool, where at? Maybe i’ve been there.” 

He choked on his beer again. He set it down, coughed up a lung, and the waitress quickly brought him a glass of water. 

“Are you okay?” Neji asked, sounding slightly worried. 

“Yeah, no, i’m good. Sorry,” He laughed nervously. Neji’s phone lit up on the table and he checked the ID. 

“Sorry, I gotta take this.” He got up and went outside. Naruto could see him through the window, pacing back and forth. Sakura and Tenten came out then and took their seats.  
“Where did Neji go?” Tenten asked, looking around. 

“He had to take a phone call,” He replied. “So, what was that all about?” He asked, curious. He ignored Neji’s warning. 

“Oh,” Tenten glanced at Sakura then shrugged. “Nothing, really. I matched someone up in the office with a friend of mine, but I guess it’s not common knowledge so I’m not really supposed to say anything.” 

“God, Ten, thats gonna make him want to know even more,” Sakura snapped.  
“Sorry! I’m just being honest.” Tenten threw her hands up and laughed. She seemed to have a really nice sense of humor and could laugh at herself. Easygoing, that was the word to describe her.

“Well don’t be. You know he doesn’t like it going around the office, we were told not to discuss personal matters at work.” Sakura pointed out.

“Well, we’re not at work, are we? Who cares if he knows, it’s Sasuke after all. He’s never even at the office.” 

“Well now you might as well tell him, as if he doesn’t already know.” Sakura slumped back in her seat and stared at her phone. 

“You set Sasuke up? Our boss?” He was surprised Sasuke would do something so normal. He thought Sasuke was way too serious to allow an employee to set him up on a date. 

“Yeah, last spring. The firm had only just opened, so he was still getting a feel for being the boss. I had this friend who was tres cute, and single. Anyway, I offered to set them up, Sasuke agreed. They were really cute together too, my friend’s a lawyer and he owns a few real estate in town. But I guess it didn’t work out cause now Sasuke refuses to talk about it. I’ve tried to bring it up but he shuts it down. He won’t even talk about it at work. I think he got dumped and just doesn’t want to admit it.” 

“Wait,” Naruto thought he must have misheard. “Did you set Sasuke up with a guy?” 

Tenten blinked, paused, then said, “Well, yeah. He’s gay, so why wouldn’t I? Wait, did you not know he’s gay?” 

“How would I know that?! I’ve only met him three times! And he didn’t seem gay when he showed up-“ He stopped. Sakura set her phone down and stared at him. They sat around him, waiting. 

“Showed up where, exactly?” Sakura asked, her words carefully chosen. He gulped. Now he’s done it. He almost let it slip where he worked. 

“Oh, um, he showed up at the restaurant I work at.” 

“And why would he seem gay? Was he with someone? Oh my god, you have to tell us everything,” Tenten gushed. He inwardly groaned. This was not what he wanted to talk about. Sasuke warned him not to say anything, too. 

“No, it wasn’t like that. It was just seeing him outside of work. I mean, isn’t gaydar a thing? Can’t you sorta tell when someones gay?” 

“God, what age do you live in?” Tenten said. “Well, whatever. I don’t actually know if he’s gay or bi or what. But when I met him, I got that vibe. When I asked if I could set him up, he agreed, knowing it was a guy. I wouldn’t mention anything to him though, he gets really testy when people bring it up.”  
“Oh trust me, if I can avoid him all together I will.” Sasuke frightened him, like a lot. He was incredibly intimidating, and his boss. 

“Well good,” Tenten said, seeming to end the conversation. “Oh, Sakura, guess what I bought last weekend from that cute shop we passed that one time…” He drowned out their chatter and checked his phone. It was getting late, he would have to go home soon to do laundry, clean up a bit. He didn’t have to work again at the club until Saturday, which was usually their busiest day. 

Neji returned a few minutes later to say he was leaving.

“Yeah, Hinata’s having car trouble so she needs me to come by. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” 

“Bye!” Sakura called. They muttered their goodbyes and he left. 

“Are they together?” He asked the girls. Shino remained silent. 

Tenten and Sakura looked at each other then broke out laughing. 

“What?” He asked. 

“Hinata and Neji are cousins,” Shino said, finally speaking. 

“Oh, my bad,” He said, grinning. Tenten dried her tears and stifled her laughter. 

“You crack me up, Uzumaki,” She said, smiling. “Okay, whose gonna do shots with me?” She picked up the glass and looked around the table. “Oh come on guys, don’t make do it alone.” 

“Tenten, we have work in the morning,” Sakura pointed out. 

“So?” Tenten shrugged and then downed the shot. “Come on, new kid, don’t be a pussy.” She placed the glass in front of him. 

“Eh, alright.” He picked it up, said a silent prayer, and tossed it back. It burned like hell and made him wince, which made Tenten and Sakura laugh. “Gross,” he muttered, setting the glass down. 

“Well, now I know who I’m inviting out every time we go out,” Tenten said. “Another!” They did another round of shots. Sakura joined in on the fourth one, and by the sixth one, Shino ducked out and bid them a goodnight. Around midnight, slammed and stumbling outside, Sakura deemed herself designated walker, and walked them to their homes. They dropped Tenten off first, who lived around the block. She was stumbling like mad, laughing her ass off and downright drunk. She stumbled into her apartment, giggling, and shushing them. She eased the door closed, then they heard her fall to the ground and bust out laughing. 

“Now, you!” Sakura said. She was drunk, but not nearly as drunk as he was. He matched each of Tenten’s shots and he was feeling it. He looped his arm around her shoulders and let her drag him to his apartment complex. “This one time Neji got super wasted for his birthday and we had to drag him out of the pond over there because he wanted to swim with the ducks. He may seem like he’s so perfect, but he’s just as dumb as we are. He just hides it better.” She giggled to herself. “He also has like, a huge dick.” She burst out laughing, dropped him and fell to the ground. Naruto fell down beside her, stifling his own laughter. But it was like in school when the teacher tells you not to laugh, and it just makes you laugh harder. “Oh my god, don’t tell him I shaid that!” She slurred. Her face was flushed red, which only made her look prettier. 

“I won’t,” He said through wheezing laughter. “How big?” He asked in a mock serious tone. Sakura spread her hands out a decent width and then fell forward, laughing. “Wait! How do you know that?” He asked her. 

“I’ve seen it!” She said, laughing. “Don’t tell,” She held her finger to her lips and blew. He lifted her up off the ground, the chilly air sobering him up a bit. He was drunk, but he suddenly felt sober. 

“Where do you live?” He asked her. God, she was a lightweight. 

“Um, I take the train,” She mumbled. 

“Oh god.” He didn’t feel like taking the train drunk, so he headed to his own apartment. He would just let her sleep in his bed for the night. He hoped she wouldn’t be too mad in the morning. 

They got to his apartment, he struggled with the keys and finally opened the door after several failed attempts. She threw herself down on the bed when they got inside. He shut the door and locked it, and turned the lights on. He shrugged out of his jacket and looked at Sakura, nearly passed out. He bent down and took her shoes off, then helped her get under the covers. He turned the lights off. He got undressed and laid down on the couch, exhausted. He could hear her snoring. Good. 

When morning came, he got up early and showered. Sakura was still passed out. When he got out, he wrapped the towel around his waist and stopped in the hall. She was sitting up, rubbing her eyes and looking around. She wore an expression of utter confusion. 

“Ah, your awake,” He noted. She looked at him and her eyes widened considerably.  
“Oh god, what did we do?” She asked. 

He laughed. “No, we didn’t do anything. We were both drunk, so I just brought you back here.” He had an apology on the tip of his tongue. 

“Oh, well thank you. Sorry, I know this is probably a huge inconvenience.”

“What? No, it’s really not. I just didn’t want to take the train last night,” He said, laughing.  
“Oh, okay.” She looked around. Her hair was in a disarray, her makeup smudged. But she still looked pretty. “I guess I should head home, shower and change or whatever. What time is it?” 

“Um, nearly six.” 

“Oh shit. Ugh okay, I gotta go now then. Thank you for taking care of me, and sorry again. I’ll see you at work.” She grabbed her shoes and purse and headed out. He turned around and started making coffee. He got dressed as he waited on his coffee. He yawned. Damn he did not get enough sleep last night. And his back ached. Sleeping on a couch, he hasn’t done that since freshman year. 

He ate breakfast and headed to work. When he got there, Sakura was sitting at her desk looking like death. She was leaned over her coffee, half asleep. Tenten called in sick, apparently. Shikamaru called a meeting in the conference room and they all shuffled in. Naruto sat in the back to take notes if needed and just watch. Sakura was at her desk, napping. 

Halfway through the meeting, Sasuke came in. He wore a simple black button up shirt tucked into denim jeans. He wore dark brown loafers and had his hair slicked back. He looked very professional, almost like he belonged in a mens warehouse catalogue. 

“Good morning everyone,” He said. He avoided Naruto’s gaze, and he couldn’t help but think it was on purpose. “We have a new client coming in, she wanted to meet with me specifically so I’m going to sit down with her and see what she wants and then dole out her request to the person I think fits the best. Don’t take it personally, you each have a specific style. I won’t be here the rest of the week, but next week we have some investors coming by so I’m going to have each of you do a presentation to show them what we do here. Also don’t forget the office trip we’ll be taking at the end of the year. I know it’s a little unorthodox but i’ve heard this is a good way for people to get closer, and we’ll be inviting some of our elite clientele along. It’s a gonna be a good workshop to check out potential clients and fellow designers. Any questions can be emailed to me. I will reply as quickly as I can.” He bowed out of the room and Shikamaru resumed the meeting. When they were done, Naruto was the first one out. 

He walked back to his desk and Sakura was organizing the supply closet. 

“How did it go?” She asked when he came back. 

“Fine, I guess. Our boss showed up.”

“Yeah, I saw. He rarely comes to office meetings.” 

“So I heard.” He didn’t know why he even brought it up. Not like he really cared.  
“Can you help me with this?” He walked over and helped her take down a very heavy typewriter that was sitting on the top shelf. “I thought this would look cool in the front lobby, don’t you think?” He took it from her and shrugged. 

“I suppose.” It was just an old, rusty typewriter. 

“Do you mind taking it downstairs? Just give it to Hinata, she’ll know where to put it.” “Aye aye.” She pressed the elevator button for him. He waited, watching the number change from two to one. Wait, no. She pressed three. Why did she press three? Fuck. The doors opened and Sasuke was standing there, newspaper in hand. He looked at Naruto, a little surprised 

“What are you doing up here?” He asked, walking into the elevator. Naruto squeezed against the wall, it was a very tiny elevator. 

“Sakura pressed the wrong floor button.” He didn’t think he even had to justify it. But he was on the defensive. 

Sasuke pressed the first floor button and they headed down in silence. 

“Um-”

“You don’t have to talk,” Sasuke ordered. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t, actually.” 

Naruto shut his mouth, now very annoyed. He knew he was his boss, but there was no need to be so rude. He was an intern here, was this how he usually treated his interns? Or was it just because of what happened the other night. Because if so, that was totally uncalled for. It’s not like he went spilling it to the entire office. He said he wouldn’t say anything and he never broke a promise. 

The doors opened and Sasuke strode out. Naruto walked over and set the typewriter on the desk. 

“Sakura said you’d know where to put this?”

“Oh yes! Actually, it looks kind of heavy. Can you just set it over here?” HInata pointed to a spot on an empty table in the corner. He set it down. “Thank you!” She said, her voice just as sweet as when he first met her. “How is the work? Do you like it?” She asked. 

“Ugh, sure. I mean, it’s just office work. But it’s not too bad.”

“Thats good!” Naruto returned upstairs and waited out the day. He was getting more and more used to the work and finding his rhythm. He was a lot more friendly with Sakura and Neji and even Shino. He helped them when they asked and offered to get everyone coffee. When the day was done, he headed home. He was exhausted. 

When Saturday rolled around, he got off work and headed straight to the club. He hadn’t seen Sasuke for the rest of the week, and he sort of wondered if he would come tonight. It was their busiest night so maybe not. They were doing specials tonight on lap dances, which always drew in a crowd. 

He walked up to the building, it was a slim, dark brick building pressed between a sex toy shop and a dentist office. The Velvet Hole, The sign was lit up above the door. He walked down the alley and took the side entrance for the employees. He walked down the hall to the employees lounge and found Kiba bent over Gaara, who was adjusting his garters to ride higher on his thighs. 

“I’m just saying, you’d look sexy with your hair pushed back,” Kiba said. He had one hand on the wall, the other on his hip and he was looking down at Gaara with a hungry look on his face. 

“Oi! Kiba, don’t harass Gaara,” Temari snapped from the lounge chair. She had a folder in her hands and was going over paperwork. 

“Sorry, big sis,” Kiba said, walking back to his chair. 

“Please don’t screw up tonights performance like you did last night. Oh and I booked you for a private showing at eleven. It’s with Mr. Danzo again.”

“Ugh, that old coot? Fine, but I better have some ice waiting for me after. He’s always way too rough.” Kiba grimaced. 

“Um, Ms. Temari-“ Naruto started.

“I’ve already told you, call me Temari.” She got to her feet. She was the queen of the Velvet Hole, the owner and at times, performer. 

“Sorry,” He muttered. “But I was hoping I could have Monday off. I put in the request but I never heard anything back.”

“Yeah, no. I need you here. The new guy just quit. Sorry.” She strode past him to her office and shut the door. He sighed and walked into the locker room. 

“I can cover for you,” Gaara said, walking in behind him. “I used to serve, remember?”  
“Nah, thats okay. You work to much anyway," Naruto said, waving him off. He liked Gaara, he was sweet. This kind of work didn't really suit Gaara, but he did it anyway. Maybe it was because his sister owned the place. 

“Okay then.” 

Naruto placed his bag in his locker and straightened his bowtie. 

“Oh, if you want,” Kiba said, strolling in. “You can take my old coot and I can relax out here. You’d be good at it, I can tell.” He licked his lips and winked. 

“Don’t harass him,” Gaara said. 

“Fine, do as you please. Oh god, he always cum’s all over my face too. Bleh.” He shivered in response. Naruto made a disgusted face and walked out. 

“Oh, Naruto!” He turned around, Gaara stood in the doorway holding a pair of cat ears in his hands. “You really should think about working here full time, it pays well and it’s not so bad. You don’t have to do the sex part, you can just dance. It’s great exercise and the tips are great.”

“I’ve thought about it, but i’ll pass.” He smiled. “Thanks for thinking about me though.”  
“Sure, anytime.” Gaara smiled and headed out through the back stage door to get ready. The other dancers were getting ready. The music started playing and the crowd outside roared in response to Gaara’s entrance. He was definitely a crowd pleaser. 

“That guy is such a tease,” Kiba said, tsking. 

“I thought you were dating someone?” 

“Oh I am. He’s super rich and treats me real nice,” Kiba said. 

“Thats great,” He said. Kiba shrugged and one of the other dancers called him over to help him with his outfit. Naruto headed out to get to work. He mostly just served drinks, but it could get hectic when it was a busy night. There were only three servers working tonight, usually there was only one but on Saturdays they triple booked it. 

“Naruto, come here.” Kankuro called to him. He walked to the bar. “Can you call for Kiba, he’s got an appointment here. It’s not that old guy, its someone whose requesting him by name. He should be able to fit him in before his show. Tell him he’s willing to pay double.” 

“Sure thing!” He delivered the message to Kiba who looked ecstatic. 

“Did he say who it was?” 

“Ugh, no.” 

“Oh well then. I’ll get the room set up, can you bring him back?”

“Sure.” He headed to the private waiting area. Kiba took the back way. When he walked in, there was one man sitting on the round couch already. He wore a black button down shirt, nice jeans and brown loafers. 

He stopped. 

His heart beat like crazy in his chest and he suddenly got clammy. 

“Um, are you here for Kiba?” The man got to his feet and turned to face him. Both their faces turned white as snow.  
“Sasuke?” He breathed, his voice seemed caught in his throat.

“Naruto?” Sasuke said at the same time Naruto uttered 'Sasuke.' Naruto groaned. “Fuck,” Sasuke said under his breathe. 

“Sorry,” He turned on his heel and tried to run but Sasuke was quicker and had him pinned against the wall. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked, his face was so close. 

“I work here, remember?” His voice shook. He was so nervous, he could hear his heart beating in his ears. “I swear, I won’t say anything!” His hands flew up to cover his face. He thought he heard Sasuke chuckle, but that would be impossible. 

“You don’t have to pretend you didn’t see me. I don’t care who knows.” 

“But what about the other day?” Naruto dropped his hands. Sasuke had his hands in his pockets now and he was smirking. 

“Lets just say, I won’t hide what I was doing here, but I won’t lie and say I didn’t see you either.” 

“I swear I won’t say anything,” He pleaded. 

“Do you not want people to know you work here?” Sasuke was on the verge of laughter, he could tell. He thought this was funny. Was he some sort of sadist? That would explain why he was seeing Kiba, who was a known S&M player. 

“It’s not that,” He muttered. “It’s just hard to explain to people why I work here.”

“So instead you lie.” 

“Yeah.” Kiba walked out then, arms extended out and a slutty look on his face. He took in the scene and smirked. 

“Well well well. Threesome anybody?” 

“I’ve gotta go,” Naruto stammered out and ran out. He dashed into the employee bathrooms and when the door was securely locked, he slid to the floor and covered his face once more. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest he thought for sure it was going to explode right out. 

He took a deep breathe to steady his breathing and got to his feet. He was trembling. Whats wrong with me, he thought. Why was he reacting like this? Why was Sasuke here? After last time, knowing he worked here, why did he come back? And obviously he has such tastes, no one dragged him into that room to have a private performance by Kiba. This was a strip club, but it also worked as an underground sex club. He would have to have known that before coming here. So he wanted Kiba, maybe he knew Kiba. Maybe he’s been to him before. He shivered at the thought. He had no right to know such things about his boss. He felt so dirty. 

He turned the faucet on and splashed water on his face. He needed to calm down. No one would notice him being gone, but if he stayed in here too long they would. But what if he ran into Sasuke? He couldn’t help but think about what they were doing in that room right now. He shivered just thinking about it. 

He turned the water off and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was pale, his eyes were sunken and he looked sick. Maybe he could convince Temari to let him go home sick. He looked the part so it wouldn’t be that hard to fake it. 

No. 

He was not going to let Sasuke drive him out of here. This was his club, he had every right to be here. It's Sasuke who should be mortified right now, trying to escape. 

He walked out, feeling refreshed. 

He finished his shift, he didn’t see Sasuke again. He must have left and he just didn’t notice. He was very relieved. 

When he got home, he was feeling restless. He crawled into bed and laid there. He didn’t have anything else to do and it had been a while. He pulled out his laptop and went to his usual porn website. He found a good video and grabbed the lube in his nightstand drawer. He drenched his hand in it and went to work. He closed his eyes and listened to their moaning. His cock hardened against his hand and soon it was standing at attention. He moaned softy, pleasure building up. His thoughts went to Sakura, the pretty intern. He thought about Neji briefly but shook the image out of his head. It was weird to jerk off to someone he knew. He opened his eyes and watched the video some more. He was starting to get into it. He closed his eyes again and moved his hand with assured movements. He arched his back slightly as the heat built up. He was so close. Right before he came in his hand, he thought about Sasuke. He cried out as he came. He got up and rinsed off and got back into bed. 

Did he just cum thinking about Sasuke? What was wrong with him? He shook the thought from his head. It wasn’t like that. Sasuke was just on his mind because of what happened. He fell asleep, worn out but pleased. 

Monday rolled around much too quickly. 

The day went by quick enough. He grabbed lunch for everyone at noon, and worked on filing for the rest of the day. When the day was done, Sakura invited him out for drinks. 

“Sorry, I work Mondays at the restaurant,” He said. She shrugged it off and he left. He did feel bad lying about where he worked, but he didn’t really owe anyone a direct answer. 

He headed into work at ten, just a three hours shift tonight. When he got there, Temari was waiting for him. 

“Come with me.” She ordered. 

“Um, okay.” He followed her into her office and she closed the door. 

“You’re not in trouble,” She clarified. He felt relief spread throughout his body, but he was still on alert. “We have a customer in the private lounge requesting you. I told him you weren’t a dancer but he insisted. Now, I can tell him to leave, offer him service from another dancer. Or you can go in there and perform. I know you’re not a performer, but you’ve been working here for two years, so I know you picked up on some things. I won’t force you, I won’t hold it against you if you don’t feel comfortable. I just wanted to tell you. Now, what do you want me to do?"  
He knew who it was. It couldn’t be anyone else. 

“I’ll do it,” He said. He might be making a mistake. But he wasn’t about to go in there and suck dick. He wanted to know why. He was curious. If Sasuke went through the trouble of coming here and requesting him, there must be something else going on. 

“Okay, good. He’s in room three. Kiba offered to lend you something to wear. There’s no pressure, just keep it simple and do what he requests.” 

“Okay.” He felt insanely nervous. It’s not like this was a real performance or anything, but he felt nervous. 

Kiba was waiting for him in his dressing room. Kiba’s worked here for years so he got his own room, he was the only one. 

“Well well well,” Kiba trilled. “Look who finally came to the dark side, no pun intended.” 

“Just don’t do anything too weird, this is the only time i’m doing this,” He said. Kiba laughed and sat him down in the chair at the vanity. 

“Honey, thats what they all say.” He took some hair gel and slicked Naruto's hair back. He never wore his hair like this. It actually looked kind of good. He turned him around and said, “Close your eyes, sweetie. This will make your blue eyes pop.” He closed his eyes and Kiba started rubbing something along his lash line. It felt incredibly intrusive having him so close, and with something so close to his eyeball. He looked up when ordered and felt the pencil dig into the lash line above and then the bottom ones too. When he finished with both eyes he turned him back around. He was right, his eyes did pop. He added just a sliver of black eyeliner, nothing too crazy. 

“Cool,” He muttered. 

“Okay, now this is what i’ve picked out for you,” He grabbed something from off the couch and held it up. Naruto gasped. 

“I can’t wear that! There’s nothing to even wear.” 

“Don’t be silly, you’ve got a hot body, you can wear anything.” He forced him to get dressed. It was a black spandex thong, just big enough to cover his privates, but not nearly enough to cover everything. He handed him a black tie and fingerless leather gloves. Kiba also handed him a pair of six inch heeled boots to put on. 

“No, i’m not wearing these.” 

“Shut up and put them on. They complete the look.” Naruto groaned. He hated this. He hated this so much. And now Sasuke was going to see him like this, he was mortified. But he put the boots on anyway. He fell almost instantly. “Just walk around a bit, you’ll be fine.” Naruto did as he was told and walked around but it didn’t get any easier. He stumbled a lot. He felt like a newborn deer. “Well, if it helps, you look hot as fuck.”  
“Thanks but it doesn’t.” 

“Okay well, go out there and rock that guys socks off.” Kiba crossed his arms and watched him. He teetered nervously around and made his way to the private rooms. He used the wall as balance and he got to the door. He took a deep breathe but nothing could quell his nerves now. 

He opened the door and walked in.  
Sasuke sat waiting.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto shut the door behind him. Sasuke smirked gloatingly. He was dressed quite warmly, he wore a very expensive looking black coat over a dark blue sweater and jeans. He pulled out his phone and the flash went off. 

“I’m sorry, thats just for my own amusement.” Sasuke said with a delicious smirk.

“Shut up, I’m only doing this because I think there’s something seriously wrong with you. Why did you even ask for me?” He crossed his arms. His legs hurt, the heels were pinching his toes. He knew he looked foolish, he felt foolish. 

“Because I wanted to. I honestly didn’t think you’d agree to do it.” He started laughing and Naruto started blushing. He was being laughed at, he was utterly humiliated. “Oh i’m sorry, please don’t look so down. I called you here because I wanted to see you.” He got to his feet then. They were the same height now, Naruto was a little bit taller. Without the heels, he was much shorter. Sasuke swung around the pole and stopped in front of him. “I lied before, about coming here. I asked my friends to come here with me. I frequent this establishment quite often, actually. It has the best dancers in town.” 

“Why are you telling me this.” He’s worked here for years but he never remembered seeing him before. But he usually didn’t pay much attention to the customers. There were so many, coming and going all the time. Only a few stuck out in his mind, the usuals he came to know by name. 

“I think you know why, Uzumaki,” He purred. Naruto squirmed under the intense gaze of his boss. “I need a new play thing.”

“I’m not some toy,” He spat. Sasuke let go of the pole and started towards him. Naruto backed up until his back was against the wall. Sasuke placed both hands on the wall beside his head and leaned close. 

“I like you, Naruto. You’re cute and young and I think I could even fall in love with you.” His words sent a shiver down Naruto's spine. He met the dark, intense stare with hesitation. “I want to kiss you.” Naruto couldn’t stop him. Sasuke leaned down and their lips met. The kiss was tender, delicate. He moved his hands almost instinctively around his waist, and Sasuke’s hand dropped down to cradle his face. Naruto trembled beneath his touch. He wanted more. Sasuke broke away before they could go further. He ran his thumb across Naruto's bottom lip and smiled. 

He thought he would hate the kiss. He wasn’t gay, after all. But he didn’t hate it. In fact, he wanted to keep doing it. 

“How was that?” Sasuke asked. Naruto was speechless. “Hm, interesting.” He walked over to the lounge bench and sat down. “Well, I paid for a private dance, are you going to deny a customer what he asks for?” He grinned. Naruto pushed himself off the wall and walked with trembling limbs to the pole in the middle of the room. He stepped up onto the platform, careful of his added height. He twisted around it, getting a feel for it. When he first started, Kiba used to teach him some moves, just for fun. He was really glad. Once he got used to the pole, he was able to move a little more easily. He couldn’t do anything spectacular, like Gaara, but he could move without making a complete fool of himself. He tried to keep in mind that this was a dance and to move with a little more sex appeal. The mere idea made him cringe. 

“Do I have to pay extra for the lap part? Or is that included?” Sasuke teased. Naruto grimaced, but moved closer to him. He climbed onto his lap and moved up and down, running his hands through his hair and twisting his body like Kiba does when he dances. He suddenly felt a warm presser against his right nipple. He looked down and Sasuke had it in his mouth.

“W-what are you doing?” He gasped. Sasuke looked up and sucked a little harder. He closed his eyes, embarrassed. He put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. It tickled. Sasuke released him and scowled. 

“It’s not supposed to be funny.” 

“I’m sorry, i’m not laughing at you. It tickles.”  
“How old are you?” Sasuke snapped. He looked down at him and frowned. 

“I’m sorry, please continue.” Sasuke looked up at him with a wary look. “Seriously, it felt really good. I’m not exactly used to nipple play, so I guess i’m not sure how to react.” 

“What, you’ve never had a girl suck your tits?”

“Okay, one, please don’t call them that. And two, no, I haven’t. I thought that was the guys job.” 

“Well, if both parties are guys then it doesn’t matter, right?”

“I’m not gay, okay. I’ve never done it with a guy.”  
“I hate to break it to you, but you’re at least bi.” Sasuke pointed out.   
“Hey, don’t assume-“

“Are you a virgin, Naruto?” Sasuke interjected. He blushed deeper and looked away. He crossed his arms over his nipples and avoided Sasuke’s look. He knew if he looked at him, he would know instantly the answer. “You don’t have to tell me. I can guess already. Well, as honored as I am to be your first, I don’t think we should do it here. It’s a little, well, unsanitary.”

“I’m not doing it with you,” He said. He lifted off his lap and sat down. Sasuke slid off his jacket and in one swift move, had Naruto pinned down, his knee between his legs, nudging his cock. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to fuck me?” He whispered in his ear. Naruto shivered, his entire body felt hot, like he would melt if touched. 

“I-I d-don’t.”

“Come by my place after you get off. I’ll make it worth your while.” He got up, grabbed his jacket and left. Naruto sat up, confused by what just happened. He looked around but he was all alone. He yanked off his boots and uncurled his aching toes. He walked out and got dressed in his server outfit and left the clothes in Kiba’s dressing room. 

He didn’t bother telling Temari he was leaving, he just left. No one would notice him gone anyway. If asked, he would just say he got sick and went home. It wouldn’t be a complete lie. He felt sick his stomach right now. 

What just happened? Did Sasuke, his boss, really just come onto him? And did he actually enjoy it? Was he bi? Was he gay? What was he? He never really thought about it before, he dated a little in college but nothing serious. Never has he dated a guy, though. He didn’t think he was even attracted to guys. Or maybe he was just attracted to Sasuke? He was incredibly good looking. It would be weirder to not be attracted to him. Right? 

“Oh, you’re leaving?” He looked around. He was in the alley, he hadn’t even noticed Gaara leaned up against the wall, cigarette between his lips. “How’d it go?” He lit it up and exhaled. He offered Naruto one, but he refused. 

“Um, I’m not sure.” 

“Think you want to keep doing it?” He asked. Naruto thought about it for a moment. Did he want to? He certainly enjoyed the kiss, but did he like it enough to keep doing it? And what would this mean for his internship? Getting involved with his boss wouldn’t bode well with his ethics. What if people at work found out? He was terrible at keeping secrets. What if Sasuke didn’t bother hiding it? Would people get mad at him? And what the hell was that line about falling in love with him? They barely even knew each other. 

“I’m not sure,” He repeated. Gaara nodded and tossed his cigarette down and stomped on it. 

“Well think about it. But don’t think too hard. Some things don’t need a lot of thought. If you like doing it, keep doing it. Don’t worry about what others say.” He knew he was talking about the pole dancing, but his words worked well for his situation too. The pole wasn’t for him, thats for sure. He had fun, but he was much too preoccupied to really remember much of it. 

“Thanks, Gaara.” Gaara saluted him and went back inside. Naruto headed out onto the street. He didn’t actually know anything about Sasuke. He didn’t know his address or his phone number or his email. He cursed under his breathe. Even if he did want to go over there, he couldn’t. But did he? He at least wanted to go over there and tell him yes or no. Sasuke deserved that much, at least.

Maybe it was for the best, not going over there. His decision was made for him. So he headed home. As he sat on the train for the two stops to his house, he kept playing that kiss over in his head. He’s never felt that way before. He didn’t know a kiss could feel that good. He just wanted more. 

He almost missed his stop. He got off and headed home. When he got there, he threw himself on his bed and passed out. Morning came much too quickly and soon he was standing outside the office building, contemplating going inside. What if Sasuke was here today? Was he going to say anything? 

“Already having second thoughts?” Sakura’s voice freed him from his thoughts.  
“Oh, ugh, yeah,” He laughed nervously and they walked in together. 

Don’t worry, the work gets easier. I’m sure Shikamaru will pair you off with a designer soon so you can get a feel for the work they do. I worked with Neji my first few months. Once he finished the project, I stopped though. I don’t plan on staying here after my internship is over though.”

“What do you want to do?” 

“I want to work in design, but theres another firm I want to get hired onto.” She seemed so sure of herself. Must be nice, he thought. 

They settled into the desks and Shikamaru came out of the elevator as soon as he sat down. 

“Naruto! Good, the boss wants to see you upstairs. Also, Sakura do you mind making a copy of these? I need them sent out to all our contacts.” He handed her a piece of paper. Naruto got up and headed to the elevator. He felt a bundle of nerves tighten in his stomach and he felt like he was going to puke. When the doors opened on the third floor, he headed to the back of the floor to where Sasuke’s office was. 

The door was open. He knocked anyway and walked in. Sasuke was sitting in his chair, facing the windows that faced the back of the street, a small park surrounded by cafe’s, shops and such. He was on the phone. 

“…Okay well I need them by Friday…Okay, great. Thanks.” He hung up and spun around. “Ah, Naruto. I wanted to talk to you.”

“If this is about last night, I don’t think we should talk about that-“

“I want you to shadow me today. We have a client coming in to review the model i’ve designed for her. She’s a very important client. Can I trust you to do well?” He asked. Naruto silently cursed his big mouth. Of course he didn’t want to talk about last night. They were at work. He was his boss. It doesn’t matter what happened last night. He needed to remain professional. 

“Of course, yes. Thank you.” 

“Very well. You can sit over there. She’ll be here at nine.” He motioned lazily to the chair in the corner. Naruto sat down, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He didn’t know how to not think about what happened last night, it kept coming back in bursts. 

Sasuke worked in silence, every now and then he would glance over. Naruto just sat there, trying to become invisible. 

The intercom chimed at eight fifty-five. “Mr. Uchiha, your nine o’clock appointment has just arrived.” Hinata’s voice chimed through. 

“Thank you, send her up.” He got to his feet and straightened his tie. “Now just watch and learn.” He walked out and Naruto followed him. The elevators opened and a woman with long waist length blonde hair poured out. She broke out into a bright smile. She wore a purple dress that fit snugly against her shape. She looked like money. She had big sunglasses on top of her head, big diamond earrings in her ears, rings on her fingers. Her purse she held in the crook of her elbow looked quite expensive.

“Sasuke!” She said in a flirty voice. 

“Hell miss Yamanaka, how are you today?”  
“Oh please,” She giggled. “Don’t be so formal. Ino, my name is Ino.” Her eyes slid past Sasuke and landed on Naruto. “And who is this?” She asked. her eyes narrowing. 

“This is an associate of mine, he will be joining us in our meeting.” 

“Well, thats fine I suppose.” She looked disappointed. What, was she planning on sucking his dick? Sasuke ignored her comment and led her to an unused room. He had a display set up on the table and the computer was already set up for the slide show. This was Naruto's first time sitting in one a design consultation so he was incredibly curious. 

“Lets get into it, shall we?” He asked. Ino folded her hands together and stared up at Sasuke as if her life depended on it. As he went through the presentation, her eyes never left him. But he kept his cool. He presented the design for her new first floor living room and kitchen with ease and precision. He really was a pro. When he had finished, she jumped to her feet, clapped once and squealed. 

“Oh, that was just brilliant!” She gushed. 

“We will, of course, start as soon as we can. Just give us a date and I will have it set up.” He adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, such a tailored move. He really knew how to work his clients. Ino watched him with a ferocious look in her eyes. “Will you, by chance, be coming by to supervise?” She asked, the desperation oozed off her like a bad odor. 

“I will try my best to come see it, but I trust my colleagues to do their job well. If theres any problems you can call the office and they’ll make sure I get the message. Unfortunately I have to be in NYC this weekend for a conference, and my schedule doesn’t always allow me to visit the clients home.”

“Well, I guess thats alright. But I do hope you can stop by, even for a moment.” She really was trying to suck his dick. 

“I will try my hardest,” He said kindly. Damn, Naruto didn't know he even knew how to be kind. With the meeting over, they led her out and when the doors closed, Sasuke let out a breathe he was holding in. “She’s always such an event. But she pays well and she’s always renovating something, so I’m told. For her to come to us, it’s a great opportunity.”

“You handled that well,” He admitted. Sasuke rubbed his temple and chuckled.  
“Thanks.” He walked back to his office. Naruto didn’t know what to do. Should he go back to his desk, or go back to Sasuke’s office? 

“Naruto!” Sasuke called. He jogged into the office and Sasuke was leaning on his desk, arms crossed. “Close the door.” Naruto did. “Now, about last night.” Naruto gulped. He should have known this was coming. “Why didn’t you come by?” 

“Well, I didn’t have your address or your phone number. But honestly, I don’t think I would have gone anyway. I just don’t think it’s such a good idea-“

“Did you enjoy the kiss?” He asked. Naruto blushed. “I’ll take that as a yes. You don’t have to think about it. Just come by tonight, i’ll make sure you have a good time. If you leave feeling regret, then i’ll end it here. But I would hate to miss an opportunity because you’re nervous. The worst case, you hate it and leave. I won’t say anything to you, I will keep our relationship purely professional. But the best case, you have a good time and we keep seeing each other.” 

“I guess.” It didn’t sound like that bad a proposition. He did have a good time last night. But what he was proposing was a lot more then just kissing. He didn’t know if he was ready for something like that. 

“Here,” Sasuke scribbled something down on a notepad and handed it to him. “My cell and my address. Come by tonight around eleven. If you don’t, then I have my answer. But,” He got up and ran his hand down Naruto’s throat, around the back of his neck and his fingers laced through his hair and he tugged gently. He came close, their lips were inches apart. If Naruto wanted to, he could kiss him. It felt weird to be standing this close. “I think it would be a mistake not to come. I happen to be a very generous partner.” He licked his lips and paused before letting him go. “You can go back to your desk. I have some work I have to get done across town.” Naruto left, not saying anything. His heart was beating so hard he knew Sasuke could hear it. He held his breathe in the elevator. When he returned to his desk, Sakura greeted him with a warm smile and curious questions. He answered them, but his mind was a million miles away. 

He thought about what Gaara said. Maybe he was thinking too hard about this. If he wanted to go, he should go. No strings attached. If he hated it, he could leave. It was at least worth finding out. He obviously had feelings for him, he couldn’t deny that. To not act on them would be a mistake, he knew that. 

Feeling resolved, he spent the rest of the day working. He didn’t even take a lunch break. He went home feeling nervous but excited. Of course there was one thing weighing heavy on his mind. He knew absolutely nothing about gay sex. So he did the one thing anyone in his situation would do. He googled it. 

The results were a little to cold, so he went to a porn site and watched a few videos. From what he watched, it looked uncomfortable. Would he have to be the bottom? He didn’t think he could do that. Having something entering his asshole? NO. Hell no. He supposed either way was a drawback. Sasuke obviously had experience, he would just trust him. He closed his laptop and went and showered. He made sure to scrub every inch of his skin. If he was going to have Sasuke anywhere near his asshole, he wanted to be clean. 

He got out and dried off. 

He applied some cologne and got dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. His dressier clothes were at the laundromat until tomorrow, so t-shirts it was. He made some dinner, spaghetti. He was a terrible cook and didn’t have the patience for it. When he was done eating, he cleaned up but left the dishes in the sink. He would get to them tomorrow.  
He felt antsy sitting in his apartment waiting for eleven to come. He checked the sticky note in his pocket and punched in the address into his phone. It was only a few miles away. He could just take the train then walk the rest of the way. He didn’t have a car, most of his paychecks went to paying for rent anyway. His uncle offered to buy him one when he went to college but he refused. He actually liked walking everywhere, he enjoyed taking the train. There was something so human about taking the train. He liked the connections he made, even for just a moment. A hurried 'excuse me' as he got off, a genuine smile from someone he gave his seat up to. Just being around others, riding the same train. Going to different destinations. It felt almost romantic. 

He jumped up and headed out. He’d waited long enough. 

He got on the train and rode the four stops it took to get further downtown. He knew the area a little from when he used to visit during his breaks from school. But he did have to follow the gps on his phone. It led him to a swanky apartment building with a doorman. He rode the elevator directly to Sasuke's apartment. When the doors opened, it led out into his living room. Fancy.

It was big and open. White couch, glass coffee table, large flat screen on the wall. Behind the couch, a long pale wood dining room table, elegantly decorated. Simple decor, but elegant. The kitchen was huge, he could see it from where he stood. Sasuke was in the kitchen, humming to himself. 

“Hello?” He called out. Sasuke stopped what he was doing and popped out. 

“You’re early,” He stated. Naruto set his stuff down on the floor and took off his shoes. 

“Sorry, I was feeling restless.” 

“No, it’s fine. I’m making spaghetti.” 

“Huh,” He said, smiling. Sasuke went back to stirring. He walked around the open space and found himself in the kitchen. “I guess great minds think alike.” Sasuke looked at him, confused. “I also made spaghetti.” 

“Oh, well thats weird.” He set the lid over the sauce and turned around. He wore a black apron over his wool knit sweater. He had his hair tucked behind his ears. “I’m glad you came.”  
“Well, I’m still not convinced it’s such a good idea,” He admitted.

“I promise I won’t show you my play room just yet.” Naruto felt his heart drop and it must have shown on his face for Sasuke burst out laughing. “I’m just kidding. I don’t have a playroom. Go have a seat, i’m almost done here.” Naruto felt relief and went and sat down. Sasuke came out a moment later with two bowls of spaghetti. “I know you already ate, but I worked hard on this so you’re going to eat it.” 

“Thanks, i’m actually still hungry.” It looked delicious, much better than his own. And it tasted better too. Sasuke watched him eat, his fork hovering over his bowl. “Please don’t watch me eat.” Sasuke smirked and looked away. They ate in silence, only the sound of scraping forks against ceramic to fill the void. 

When he had finished eating, Sasuke cleaned up. “What do you want to drink?” He asked from the bar across from the kitchen. 

“Anythings fine.” He needed a drink for sure if he was going to go through with this. Sasuke came back with a glass of whiskey and a glass of red wine. He handed Naruto the whiskey and kept the wine for himself. 

“I’m really glad you came,” Sasuke said again.  
“You said that already.” Naruto pointed out.

“Yes well, i’m saying it again. It’s hard to find people you connect with in this town, and I have to admit, when I first met you, I had a feeling we would find ourselves here. When I find someone I like, I don’t let them go. You caught my eye.” 

“Well, I can’t promise i’m going to be good or anything-“  
“I’m not talking about sex. Even if we don’t end up doing anything, sometimes it’s nice to just have someone to talk to. I run my own businesses so I work a lot. it makes dating a little difficult.” 

“I can understand that. I never met anyone while I was in school, and I don’t really think I want to meet someone at the club.” 

“Just tell me to stop, and I will,” Sasuke said, turning the conversation back to sex. “I’ll go slow if you want me to.” He set his glass down and sat down beside him. “Just tell me to stop.” Sasuke's deep, dark eyes were half closed, his face was flushed. Naruto set his whiskey down, untouched, and they collided. He felt his nerves dismiss and replaced with pure lust. He clung to Sasuke, tugging at his clothes and enveloping him in desire. Eyes closed, he moved on instinct. Sasuke lifted him onto his lap and wrapped his arms around his waist. Familiar, he thought. Their tongues massaged each other with ease, as if they’ve been doing this for forever. 

He felt self conscious then. His mind was racing at an alarming rate. He thought about what he was doing with his hands. Was it okay? Was his kissing good? He opened one eye but Sasuke was deep into it. Sasuke pushed him back onto the couch and started kissing his neck. He laid there, afraid to move. What if Sasuke tried to put it in? If he got too into it, he would have to go all the way and right now he was feeling a lot less confident then before. He thought he was ready, he did his research. Before coming here he gave himself a pep talk and everything. But now that the moment had arrived, he felt nervous to the point of puking. He didn’t not want to do it, but he also didn’t know if he wanted to do it. He was torn. And confused. Very, very confused. 

Sasuke lifted his shirt and started kissing his stomach, moved up to wrap his lips around his nipple. His fingers played with the other one. Naruto bit back the urge to cry out. It felt so fucking good.

It took everything him in him to say, “Ugh, Sasuke?”

Sasuke lifted his head, he looked puzzled. “Whats wrong? Do you not like it?” For someone who came off as a real jerk, he was surprisingly considerate. 

“Can we stop?” Sasuke sat back on his heels and stared at him, obviously confused. Naruto pulled down his shirt and curled up at the end of the couch. “i’m sorry, this is just a lot to take in.” He didn’t know why he felt so guilty. 

“Are you still nervous?” He asked. Naruto nodded his head. “Well, we can stop. I don’t want to push you to do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing.” 

“Thank you.” He felt so relieved. He didn’t know why, Sasuke told him earlier that if he wanted to stop they could. He was worried that those words held no meaning. He was wrong. 

“Did you not like it?” Sasuke asked. 

“I did, it’s just, well, I’ve never done it before. So i’m worried I won’t be any good at it. And also, I know it’s going to hurt and I really don’t want to be in pain.” 

“Yeah, my first time was pretty painful.” Naruto's face made him laugh and he said, “But once you do it a few times, and if you’re partners really considerate and you go slow, it’s okay. And your first time doesn’t have to hurt, if you take your time and prepare beforehand. But if you’re not ready then I don’t want to pressure you.” 

“I want to, I think. Maybe we can just go slow.” 

“I can do slow,” Sasuke said. 

“Okay, but i’m going to use the restroom first.” He had to pee. Sasuke pointed to where it was and he scurried away. He felt a lot better after their talk, he wasn’t as nervous anymore. Sasuke really surprised him, he was nothing like how he was when they first met. It was like a switch was turned on. 

After he relieved himself, as he was washing his hands he checked himself out in the mirror. His skin was flushed, his cheeks rosy. His hair was pushed back and his lips were slightly discolored. 

When he walked out, Sasuke was leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, waiting for him.  
“Lets go to the bedroom, it’s more comfortable in there.” 

“Okay,” Naruto agreed. He let Sasuke lead him down a hall and into the last door on the right. The room was big, much like the rest of the apartment. He walked up to the bed, dark sheets and a very soft white blanket overlaid. He turned around and Sasuke was right there. His hands curled into his hair and they started kissing. He pushed him onto the bed and ran his hand underneath his shirt. Naruto kept his position up with his hands but Sasuke forced him to lay back. He laid his hands on Sasuke’s waist and felt the familiar twinge down below. 

Sasuke felt it to because he broke away, looked down and smirked. “Finally,” He muttered. He tore off his sweater and threw it aside, revealing his very defined, very elite muscles. The lights were off and they just had the light from the moon casting through the windows. The moonlight bathed Sasuke, and he looked like some sort of God. Naruto took off his own shirt and then his pants. Sasuke slid onto his lap and they started kissing again. Naruto wasn’t thinking about anything anymore except the fact that their cocks were rubbing against each other, making him harder. Sasuke could feel it too because he started rubbing the tip through his underwear with the tip of his fingers.

Naruto blushed deeply and turned away. He couldn’t believe Sasuke was touching it. 

“Does it feel good?” Sasuke murmured near his ear. His breathe was hot, his smell overpowering. Sasuke nippled the edge of the earlobe playfully and it sent shivers throughout his whole body. Naruto felt so hot, his body was quivering with every touch. He could only nod. He covered his face with his hands as Sasuke kept rubbing. He pinched the tip slightly and Naruto couldn't help but arc his back and then he cried out suddenly. “You’re so sensitive, is this really your first time?” 

“Oh my god!” He cried out. Sasuke kissed his neck and moved his hand around his now fully erect cock. He slid his underwear down and stopped to look down at it. 

“Well well, look whose here,” Sasuke teased. He hopped off him and walked around to the nightstand. Naruto flung himself back into the pillows. He was breathing hard, his body trembled with anticipation. He already felt like coming, he couldn’t help it. He started touching it himself, but he wanted Sasuke to do it. “You’re so horny, you can’t even help but touch it yourself? Tsk, tsk.” Sasuke came back, he’d stripped out of his own jeans and was in only boxers. He had a condom in one hand and lube in the other. 

“What are those for?” Naruto asked. 

“The condom is for safe sex, of course. And the lube is for good sex. Can’t go without it.” He pulled Naruto’s underwear off completely and threw them aside. “Now, i’m going to do something that is going to feel very weird, but then it’s going to feel very good. So bear with me. Now, roll over.” Naruto did as told, confused. He felt something cold and wet drizzle onto his ass and he gasped. 

“What was that?”

“The lube, idiot.” Sasuke tittered. Naruto grimaced. This was not fun. Then he felt it. The feeling of a foreign object sliding slowly into his asshole. He clenched without thinking. “Hey, don’t clench!” Sasuke snapped. “Get on your knees and jut your hips out.” Naruto couldn’t move. Sasuke removed his finger and grabbed him by the hips and moved up upwards so his ass was in the air. Naruto smothered his face in pillows, completely and utterly mortified. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, he couldn’t believe Sasuke was seeing him in this position. He felt Sasuke’s finger enter him once more and he bit down, hard, on his lip to keep from screaming. It didn’t hurt, but it didn’t feel good either. “Just relax,” Sasuke said. Naruto couldn’t relax. He didn’t even know how to at this point. 

Sasuke started moving his finger, back and forth. “Tell me when it feels good.” Naruto wanted to scream at him. What part of this would feel-Oh god. He let out a moan as Sasuke hit a spot that send him reeling. Pleasure exploded throughout his body and he unknowingly started moving his hips, wanting more of that pleasure. “Ah, I think I found it.” Another finger entered and now both fingers were pressing and rubbing his insides. He was going crazy.  
“I’m going to cum!” He cried out. And sure enough, he came right onto the bed. He shuddered once and then collapsed. “Oh my god,” He said into the bed. He couldn’t move. His entire body felt heavy. Sasuke laid down beside him, grinning. 

“You can stay the night, I know we didn’t go all the way or anything, but this was a good introduction, I think. I want to keep you around, so I’m gonna have to teach you some things.” He grabbed a towel off the floor and wiped his hands and then handed it to Naruto. Naruto gingerly wiped his ass and then his dick but he needed a shower. He felt embarrassed he came from being fingered, but what Sasuke just did felt way better then anything he’s ever done himself. 

“Do you want to me to do anything to you-“

“No, just sleep.” Sasuke laid his head back and closed his eyes. Naruto did feel tired, but he also felt bad. Sasuke was probably hard too, he felt selfish. But he wasn’t going to press it, this was a lot for one day. So he crawled under the blankets and fell fast asleep. 

He woke to the smell of eggs and bacon from the next room. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and looked around groggily. Sasuke was gone. On the bed was a note that said, ' Feel free to take a shower, i’ve laid out some clothes that should fit on the dresser.' He got up and went into the bathroom where he took a quick shower. He felt weird showering in someone else’s home, he missed his own shower with the terrible water pressure and grimy tub. But Sasuke’s shower was nice, like super nice. He supposed he should enjoy it. 

When he got out, he rinsed his face and grabbed the clothes Sasuke had left out. Slacks and a beige sweater. He put them on. They were a little big but they fit nicely. When he walked out, Sasuke was standing in the kitchen, cooking. 

“You’re awake,” He said. “I made breakfast.” 

“Oh, thanks.” He walked over to the table where a plate of eggs, bacon and toast sat waiting for him. 

“Do you want some coffee?” 

“No, thanks.” He hated coffee. He forced himself to drink it every morning because he woke up tired. But today he felt awake. Maybe it was the nerves from staying over last night. When he thought about what they did he felt embarrassed all over again. 

Sasuke sat down across from him with his own plate and started eating. 

“Aren’t you gonna eat?” He asked in between bites. 

“Oh, yeah.” He picked up his fork, his strength was weak. He set it back down and looked up at him. “I’m sorry about last night.” 

“Whats there to be sorry about?” Sasuke asked, not meeting his eyes. He shoveled a fork full of egg into his mouth and chewed quickly.

“Because we didn’t, you know-“

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. I had a good time. Did you have a good time?” Sasuke looked up. Naruto nodded. “Then thats all that matters. I had fun toying with you up until now, but I’m not some sadist who gets off on others pain. I like for my partners to feel pleasure and to be comfortable. I don’t always have to have sex to have a good time.” 

“Well, I really appreciate you being so considerate. And I promise, I will totally let you put it in my butt soon.” Sasuke started choking on his bacon. Naruto handed him a glass of water. When he’d calmed down, eyes watering and a smile creeping up on his face. 

“Thats really good to hear,” He said, choking back laughter. “So, now that we’ve established that, how do you like work?”

“Oh, it’s okay I guess.” 

“Just okay?” Sasuke raised a brow. 

“Oh, I mean, I like working with everyone. I’m really interested in the profession.” 

“How would you like to come to New York with me this weekend for this conference i’m attending? I was going to ask Sakura to join me, but I think we’d have more fun.” 

“To New York City? I would love to!” He’d never been to the city before, just the idea made him excited. Hopefully Sakura wouldn’t be too mad. Although, he didn’t really like the idea of being asked to go just because of their romantic relationship. “But I’m going to have to say no.” 

“And why is that?” 

“It wouldn’t be fair. I’ve only been working here a week. Sakura deserves to go.”  
“It’s not about who deserves it more. In life, you’re going to get opportunities handed to you, it would be foolish to turn them down on mere principle. I assure you, Miss Haruno wouldn’t hesitate to go.” 

“Even if thats the case, I would feel too guilty. And I don’t want this," He motioned to Sasuke then back to himself, "Whatever this is, to affect work. I already feel dirty doing stuff with the boss.” He hated to think what people would think about him if they knew.  
“You’re an idiot,” Sasuke said. “But fine. I’ll take Sakura.” 

“Thank you.” He continued eating. He suddenly remembered he had to work today and grabbed his phone that he had left on the coffee table. It read 06:45. “Fuck, we have to be at work!” He looked around for the rest of his stuff, found one shoe kicked under the couch and was searching for the other one when Sasuke walked up to him. 

“You do know i’m the boss, right? I think I can look past a little tardiness. Besides, we can just take my car. It’s much faster then the train.” 

“You have a car? Oh I mean, of course you do. You’re like super rich.” 

“I am not rich.” 

“Sure, thats what rich people say. Alright then.” He found his other shoe and slipped them on.  
“Don’t worry about your clothes, i’ll have them dry cleaned and returned to you this week.” He said as they headed out. 

“Oh, thank you so much.” They stepped into the elevator and stood in silence as it went down to the lobby. “You have a really nice place,” He noted. 

“You don’t have to fill the silence,” Sasuke said. He had his phone out, his thumbs were moving with ferocious speed across the screen. Naruto clenched down, he didn’t want to say anything anymore. 

The doors dinged and spread open. They walked through the garage and Sasuke led him up to a very luxurious black sports car. He walked around to the passenger door, in awe. He wasn’t really a car person, but he was in love. 

“Are you going to keep staring at it? Or are you going to get in?” Sasuke asked. Naruto looked up at him, eyes wide and a smile plastered on his face. 

“It’s beautiful,” He breathed. Sasuke smirked and ducked down into the car. Naruto got in, and the inside was just as nice. Leather seating, a big screen for gps and music. When Sasuke started it, it purred to life and when it settled down he put it in reverse and flew out of the spot and out onto the street. 

“When can I see you again?” Naruto asked. He didn’t know why, but he liked him. He had a nice time last night, he liked how he felt around Sasuke. Like he was special. Sasuke could have anyone in the world, and he chose him. Yeah he was kind of a dick, but a dick with a nice face. 

“I’m not sure, I’m pretty busy this week and this weekend.” 

“Oh.” He felt disappointed, he couldn’t hide it. 

“If you came this weekend, we would get to see a whole lot of each other,” Sasuke pointed out. “But you have principle.” 

“I would feel too bad about it,” He repeated. 

“Perhaps you can come over Thursday night, if my meetings don’t run late.” 

“I don’t want to bother you,” He said. 

“Please, it’ll be a treat.” 

“Okay, just text me I guess.” He pulled out his phone to check his texts. His uncle was the only one who texted him. He ignored it for later and placed his phone in his lap. They pulled up in front of the office a few minutes later. Naruto got out first and went inside. He went straight to his desk and started on his work. Sakura walked in a few minutes later. 

“Did you have a nice night?” She asked, setting her stuff down. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and logged into the computer.  
“I guess you could say that,” He said. He wondered if he was blushing too noticeably. Images of last night swam in his head. 

“I went to my parents house yesterday to pick up some stuff and come to find out, they’re selling the house and moving. God, it’s like they never include me in this kind of stuff.” She started going on and he listened, all the while wondering if Sasuke was in his office yet. He was going to try and sneak off to visit him. “…But whatever, it’s fine.” She stood up. “I’m going to do a coffee run. Do you want anything?” 

“Actually, yes. Do you want me to get everyones orders from upstairs?” He offered, perhaps a little too earnestly. 

“Yes, that would be great.” He dashed to the elevator and pressed the third floor button.  
“Hold it” Neji called. Naruto stuck his hand out to stop it and Neji slipped inside. The doors closed. “Thanks,” He said. 

“Sure,” He returned. Today Neji wore a black v-neck shirt with grey pants. His hair was down, but drawn in at the ends with a strap of leather. He looked effortless, like a model. 

The doors opened and Neji stepped out first. He followed after but stopped short. Sasuke was standing in the hall talking to Shikamaru. Neji walked up to them first and Shikamaru pulled him into his office and shut the door. He walked past and tried to peak in, but Sasuke caught him. 

“What are you doing up here?” He asked. 

“Coffee." He blurted out. "I’m doing a coffee run. Would you like something?”

“No.” Sasuke turned on his heel and walked into his office and shut the door. He clicked his tongue, annoyed, and turned around. 

“…I don’t know, last night was dangerous…yeah, I did but…stop,” Neji started laughing, it was stifled but audible. Naruto couldn’t help but lean in and listen. 

“Naruto! Our newest intern, how are you faring?” He jumped nearly a foot in the air. He turned around and Sai, the HR manager, was walking towards him. He tried to look inconspicuous, but Shikamaru’s door swung open and Neji blew out and went straight for the stairs. 

“Good morning,” Naruto said to Sai. His heart was in his throat. He really hoped Neji didn’t notice he was eavesdropping. But he was pretty curious about what they were talking about that would make him laugh like that. 

“How are you settling in?” Sai asked. 

“Oh good, I think.” 

“Well, if anythings ever on your mind, my door is always open.” Sai walked into Shikamaru’s office and Naruto headed straight for the elevator. 

He got everyones orders and went to leave. 

“Naruto,” Neji appeared by the stairwell. “Can we talk?” 

“Sure.” He followed him into the stairwell and Neji faced him, arms crossed. 

“Did you hear anything just now? Upstairs, I mean?”

“What?” Naruto feigned shock. “No, of course not. Why, is something wrong?” He was very curious now. 

“No, no. I think i’m just paranoid.” He rubbed his temples and sighed. “I knew this was a bad idea, and yet here I am. I really am an idiot.”  
“Hey, don’t say that.” He laid a hand on Neji's arm and immediately dropped it. Nope. Did not feel natural at all. “Is there anything I can help with?” He offered. 

“Unfortunately, this isn’t a job for an intern. It’s fine, I’ll deal with it myself. Thanks.” He walked out, leaving Naruto feeling even more confused. What could have Neji, who seemed so poised and put together, so flustered? 

He went to get coffee. When he came back, it was almost eight. He handed everyone their orders and sat down at his desk. He watched Neji from where he sat. He worked as usual, nothing seemed amiss. He did check his phone a lot more then usual. He looked at Sakura, but she was oblivious. 

He worked dutifully the rest of the day. As they were leaving, he forgot his jacket upstairs. “I’ll be back, go on ahead without me,” He told Sakura and the others who were headed to the bar across the street. He ran back upstairs but stopped in the hallway. 

“Wait, no, not here.” Neji’s voice. He sounded muffled. Naruto peeked around the corner and Neji was up against the wall, Shikamaru pressed up against him, kissing his neck. Naruto clasped his hands over his mouth to keep from making any noise. “Shika, what if someone sees?” 

“No one’s going to see, relax,” Shikamaru murmured, still kissing his neck. Neji closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Shikamaru’s neck. Shikamaru ran his hand over Neji’s crotch and heat spread throughout his body at seeing this. He dashed out of the building and ran across the street, out of breathe now. 

What the hell did he just see?


	3. Chapter 3

“Finally! The first rounds on you,” Sakura announced when Naruto burst inside the bar. “Oh, is Neji not with you?” She looked around him but he shook his head and grabbed a seat. 

“Um, do you guys know if he’s, um, seeing anyone?” He blurted out. Tenten spit out her drink and Sakura’s jaw dropped. 

“I had no idea you were into Neji!” Tenten exclaimed once she regained her composure. “I can’t believe this! I mean, he’s fucking gorgeous so it’s not surprising. But I definitely didn’t have you pegged as gay.”  
“I’m not gay. I’m just asking.” He was embarrassed now. 

“As far as I know, he’s not seeing anyone,” Sakura interjected before Tenten could tease him any more. “Why do you want to know?” She sipped her beer casually, but her intense green eyes said something different. She was curious. 

“Oh, um it’s nothing.” He didn’t want to say anything, it would betray Neji’s trust in him. He had no right to tell everyone what he saw. But he also felt like he was going to die unless he told someone. 

“There was this rumor he was dating someone from one of the partnering firms, but I think it was just a rumor. Neji doesn’t really date,” Sakura said thoughtfully. 

“I thought you two- OW!” She kicked his leg right then. He rubbed the spot and knew to shut his mouth. So did that mean he was bisexual? Or perhaps he wasn’t even gay. He still didn’t know what he saw, it could have been some grande misunderstanding on his part. He really had no right to pry. 

“Wait, Sakura, did you and Neji date?” Tenten asked. Sakura cleared her throat and looked away, blatantly ignoring the question. “Okay, you have to spill.” 

“We never dated, okay?” Sakura said, talking rather loudly. “We may have messed around at last years Christmas party when I got wasted. But nothing really happened. I passed out and he took me home and that was that.” 

“I remember that party! God, you were so wasted, it was hilarious. Drunk Sakura is the best,” Tenten said, laughing. “I mean, who hasn’t sucked Neji’s dick at this point. He’s kind of a man whore. But like, not in an obvious or skeevy way. He’s just like ridiculously sexy.”

“Wait, Ten, did you and Neji?” Sakura raised a perfectly feathered brow and left the question open. 

“Once or twice. But it’s nothing serious. Sometimes we stay late at the office and have sex. He’s a good lay.” She shrugged casually, but her smirk said anything but. 

“Has Neji ever slept with any of the guys from the office?” Naruto asked without thinking. They both turned to look at him and he gulped, realizing his mistake then. 

“What the hell are you hiding? Either you’re like super gay for Neji, or you saw something you shouldn’t have.” 

“No! I swear, it’s nothing like that! I’m just curious.” 

“Yeah, curious,” Tenten moved her hand up and down in a lude way and he rolled his eyes. “Just admit you want to suck his dick. We’ve all been there, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”  
“I don’t want to suck his dick!” He snapped. He quickly shut his mouth and looked around, burning bright red. No one seemed to notice his outburst but he was mortified anyway. “Sorry. Can we just drop it?” He never should have brought it up in the first place. 

“Fine,” Tenten said. “So, is there anyone you like?” She settled her chin in her hands and looked at him with a smile. He hated this question. More so than usual because there was, in fact, someone he liked. But he couldn’t say that. 

“No, there’s not.” He hated lying, but it’s not like he could tell them anything. And besides, he was still figuring out his feelings. 

“Well, there’s someone I like. He’s a lawyer downtown, I met him a few nights ago at a bar. He’s very cute and very sweet,” Tenten said. She and Sakura started talking about it and he drowned out their talking. It was quite easy to do. He immediately checked his phone to see if he had gotten any texts from a certain someone. 

Sasuke: I’m free tonight if you want to come over

His heart flew to his throat and he couldn’t help but grin. He knew this feeling well. He had a crush. He was prone to crushes, he knew what it felt like. And this was a crush. He didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing yet. 

What time? He texted. 

Immediately came: Sasuke: Whenever, the sooner the better. 

He wanted him to come over now?

“Sorry guys, but I have to go. My, um, Uncle needs me to come over to help him with something.” He laid some cash on the table and grabbed his jacket. 

“You’re not ditching us for a boy, are you?” Tenten pouted. 

“God no,” He lied. Thats exactly what he was doing. God, if only they knew where he was doing. And what he was going to do. He felt naughty just thinking about it. 

“Well, have a good night,” Sakura said, waving goodbye. He waved on his way out and dashed for the train. He hopped on the next one out and rode it downtown towards Sasuke's apartment. He remembered the way from yesterday, it was still fresh in his mind. As he walked up to the building, it looked prettier under the setting sun. It rose high into the clouds, immaculate, ornate architecture, and a doorman standing outside. It was the pinnacle of class in their city. 

He pressed the floor Sasuke lived on and it went straight up. Sasuke was on the couch clutching a glass of wine reading off his iPad when the doors opened. 

“That was fast,” Sasuke noted. “Are you that desperate for my cock?” He teased. He looked over at him with a smirk. Naruto set his stuff down and sat down on the couch beside him. He felt nervous, he still wasn’t used to this. But if he gave it too much thought he would just flee. 

“I thought you were too busy to see me?” He asked. Sasuke set down his iPad and gave a nonchalant shrug. 

“I was, but my schedule freed up. You should feel grateful I invited you over. I could have just spent the night in.” He took a sip of wine and rested his cheek on his hand, his elbow perched on the back of the couch. He looked so effortlessly handsome. What was he doing with Naruto then? He prided himself on his looks, he was cute. He had a boyish look to his face, pretty eyes and a bright smile. But he was no Neji, he knew that much. Sasuke could be dating models, millionaires, socialites. Why Naruto? He didn't like being in that kind of headspace, but it was impossible not to think about. For now he let it go, no point in wasting pointless moments talking about it. Maybe after a few drinks once he'd gathered up enough courage he could ask Sasuke. 

“I guess I should feel honored then,” He said, annoyed. Where was the considerate Sasuke from yesterday? This was the Sasuke he was used too. Snarky and mean and arrogant. Forget about not feeling hot enough, once his words settled on Naruto, his insecurities turned to annoyances. 

Sasuke leaned forward and kissed him. He was surprised, but he kissed him back anyway. He liked doing this, it felt really good. He ran his hand through Sasuke’s soft, dark locks and they kissed for a long time before Sasuke finally pushed him back. This seemed to be his preferred position, being on top. Naruto didn’t mind, he actually found the position very arousing. He was already considered a bottom, he liked giving in to the role. Although his manhood was gravely at stake here, he could do nothing but accept it. 

Suddenly Sasuke’s phone started vibrating from his back pocket. He pulled it out and checked it. Naruto started kissing his neck, still in the moment. Sasuke didn’t stop him. He answered the phone with a calm and normal tone, as if they weren’t just heavily making out ten seconds ago. 

“This is he,” He answered. Naruto felt him tense up against him and he abruptly stopped kissing him and laid back. Sasuke sat up completely and didn’t say much, he just listened to whoever was on the other line. Naruto pulled himself together and waited patiently. “…Okay, thats fine…Okay, i’ll see you soon.” He hung up and sighed heavily. “So change of plans. I have to go to the office.” He tossed his phone on the chair adjacent to the couch and ran his hands through his hair, obviously frustrated. 

“Will you come back?” He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but also he was a bit relieved. He was so nervous to go further, it was making him a mess. 

“Probably not till much later. You should go. I’ll text you.” He got up and went to his bedroom and Naruto sat there wondering if he should leave. He didn’t want to stay and be thrown out, so he got his stuff and walked out. As he rode the elevator down, he felt disappointment rush through him. He didn’t want to go, he wanted to keep kissing Sasuke. 

On the train ride home, he wondered when he would see Sasuke again. He was busy, he understood that. But this was so new, he wanted to keep seeing him, he wanted to keep feeling excited. Right now he felt lower then dirt. He was being discarded. He knew he was being childish, but he didn’t care. He wanted Sasuke to halt his life for him, he wanted to be that important person to him. He had no right to demand such things, they only just met a week or so ago. But he couldn’t help what he wanted. 

When he got to his apartment, he slammed the door shut and threw himself on the bed. He felt so frustrated. He was tired of being alone all the time, tired of being lonely. Finally he met someone he actually had feelings for, and it was his boss. And not only that, but it was someone who was too busy to have a real relationship at all. What was he at this point? Just something to pass the time? They weren’t quite lovers yet, they weren’t dating. They were some weird beginning that hadn’t quite gotten around to being anything. 

He took a cold shower and got into bed. He needed to clear his head with some sleep. When he woke the next morning, he did feel better. He wasn’t going to chase someone who couldn’t be caught. He would wait for Sasuke to text him first, he was going to play it cool. 

He got coffee for everyone before work, he knew their orders by now, and headed into the office. Hinata greeted him with a warm smile and a pleasant good morning. Sakura was already at her desk, filing away, and the designers were just starting to shuffle in. He noticed Neji wasn’t at his desk and he wondered if he was upstairs. With Shikamaru. He pushed away the thought as quickly as it had come and went to work. 

“So, Sasuke asked me to come with him this weekend to the conference,” Sakura said. “I knew he was going to ask me, but I just can’t help but be excited. I’ve never been to New York City before,” She squealed. “I just hope I don’t ruin it somehow. I mean, I’ve worked with him since he started this firm, but we’ve never really spoken. Yes, I call him Sasuke, but only when he’s not around," She said with a wink and a smile.

“I think that’ll be a lot of fun,” He said. She smiled, pleased. Neji walked in at that moment and went straight to his desk. He said good morning to Tenten, his desk mate, as usual. Nothing seemed to be terribly off. Maybe what happened was all in his head. Although, who could say? Naruto acted perfectly normal and he was seeing their boss. Just because nothing looked wrong on the outside didn’t mean nothing was wrong on the inside. He knew that from experience. “So, drinks tonight? I know, we’ve been hitting it hard since you started working here. I swear, we’re not all a bunch of alcoholics, we just don’t have lives,” She said, laughing. 

“No, I love it. But I actually have to work my second job tonight.” 

“Where do you work again?” She asked. Ah, there it was. The dreaded question he never quite knew how to answer. He’s always gotten around saying where he worked by calling it a restaurant and fibbing a bit. But he couldn’t lie about this. He might as well tell them, it's not like he even had anything to hide. He doubted Sakura even knew what that was. She'd forget in a few hours anyway. 

“It’s called The Velvet Hole, it’s downtown.” 

“Wait,” Her eyes got big and she lowered her voice. “Isn’t that the-“

“Sakura, can you make a hundred copies of these?” Tenten interrupted. Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief. 

“Sure,” She said, getting up. She walked over to the copier and Tenten watched her, arms crossed. 

“Did I hear you mention The Velvet Hole just now?” She asked, turning her attention on him. 

“What? No!”

“I love that place! Have you gone? I used to go all the time with my friends, there was this really cute red headed dancer, I can’t remember his name. But anyway, have you gone?” 

“Oh, um, I actually work there.” There, he said it. No point in hiding it at this point. Sakura walked back to them and they closed in around his desk. 

“You work there?!” Tenten gasped, but kept her voice low so no one else could hear. “Are you a dancer?” 

“God no! I’m just a server.” He laughed nervously. This was not how he planned this out. He never wanted anyone from his internship to know where he worked, it was embarrassing. It was bad enough having Sasuke find out. Hopefully they wouldn’t make him dance for them. 

“How long have you been working there?” Sakura asked. 

“About two years? My friend was working there and got me the job. He quit a long time ago but I liked it. Everyones really friendly and it pays really well.” 

“So you don’t dance?” If he wasn’t mistaken, Tenten looked disappointed. 

“No, I don’t.” 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Sakura asked. 

“I don’t really like talking about it. And people usually make a big deal about it.” 

“Well, to be fair, it is a big deal. Does the boss know?” 

“Um,” He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t tell them Sasuke knew because they would wonder how and he didn’t want to tell them how because he swore he wouldn’t, “I don’t know,” He lied. 

“Well I think thats a kickass part time job,” Tenten said, standing straight up, hands on her hips. “Maybe you can introduce me to some of your dancer friends,” She said, then gave him a wink. 

“Tenten, what about your lawyer toy?” Sakura reminded her. Tenten dropped her hands and shrugged. 

“I never said we were exclusive.” 

“Tenten,” They all turned at the sound of Shikamaru’s bored tone. “Work, please.” Tenten mock saluted him and marched back to her desk. Shikamaru sighed and walked up to Neji’s desk. Naruto watched them, but tried not to be too obvious about it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, they spoke for a few minutes then Shikamaru went into the conference room. Why did he even care at all? It really was none of his business. 

“Do you want to get lunch today?” Sakura asked from her desk. 

“No, i’m okay.” He got back to work. The work kept him busy, he barely had time to think about Sasuke. No, he was done with that. It wasn’t worth the stress. He was going to meet some nice girl who wasn’t his boss and didn’t blackmail him or treat him like shit. He was going to move on and not look back. 

Sasuke walked into the office at four and Naruto jumped to his feet. He didn’t know why. Everyone turned to stare at them and he blushed all the way to his ears. He slowly sat back down and Sasuke glanced around, and everyone promptly returned to their work. 

“I wanted to speak with you,” Sasuke said, walking up to Naruto's rather messy desk. 

“Yes?” He was trying his hardest to keep the hopefullness out of his voice. What part of him had moved on? 

“I will need you to come this weekend after all. There’s several events scheduled at the same time I want to attend. So I will have both you and Sakura joining me, along with Shikamaru of course and our head designer, Neji. Is that alright with you?” 

“Yes! Of course it is.” He scratched his head and looked at his desk. 

“Good. I will email you the itinerary. We leave Friday morning and we should arrive in the city by dusk. The conference is on Saturday and Sunday, we’ll return to the office on Monday. I’ve already had my assistant book our hotel rooms, but I did not anticipate needing to bring you so you will have to share with me. I hope that is alright?” His heart was beating so fast and so loud in his ears he thought for sure it was echoing in the entire office. 

He tried to clear his head and replied, “Yes, thats fine.” It came out high pitched and scratchy in his ears. He winced. 

“Very good.” He turned on his heel and headed back upstairs. Surely he could have just emailed him the request, but he chose to come down here to speak with him in person. Maybe it was his imagination, but perhaps Sasuke wanted to see him. But the thing that kept running through his mind the rest of the day was the fact that they were going to be sharing a room. Three nights. If nothing happened then what they had was over with. But if not, then stuff was going to happen. Butt stuff. 

After work, he headed straight for his second job. He had some time to kill so he walked around a bit. There were tons of stores in this area, and he found himself walking past a sex toy shop. He’s been in one before, when his friends dragged him in one a few years ago, and once or twice with Kiba after work. But this was the first time he’s seen one and actually sort of understood what the items were for. 

He took a deep breathe and plunged inside. 

A young girl with dyed blue hair and piercings on her face sat behind the desk reading what looked like manga. She paid him no regard when he walked in. 

He felt his whole face heat up as he actually looked at the items. Butt plugs. Rope. Hand cuffs. Lube. Porn. Dildos. All shapes and sizes. Collars, leashes, bondage straps. He picked up a butt plug that had a tail on it and promptly put it right back. Who used this stuff? Did Sasuke have anything like this? Did he have a naughty bed side drawer? Naruto had some lube in his but that was it. He wondered if practicing butt stuff before actually having sex would make it more pleasurable. He read online that proper preparation was key to a painless penetration. He supposed he should get a feel for what was going to come, but in the confines of his own home. 

He found a medium size vibrating dildo and gathered up every ounce of courage he had and went up to the counter. The girl set her book down and rang it up. 

“Did you want to add some toy cleaner for 5.99?” She inquired monotonously. 

“Um, no thanks.”

“Okay, that’ll be 19.87.” He handed her his debit card and she swiped it and handed it back to him. As he stood there, a young couple walked in. The girl started giggling and pointing at the stuff around them. The guy laughed, but it didn’t reach his eyes. The girl seemed to feel Naruto watching cause she looked over and then he immediately looked away. It’s not like he had anything to be ashamed about. “Here you go, have a nice day.” She slipped the receipt in the bag and picked up her book and he grabbed his bag and ran out of there. 

He shoved the toy in his work bag and headed to work. He felt dirty. That girl, her eyes were accusing. She knew what he was buying and why. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much, it just did. He wasn’t used to feeling like this, like he did something wrong. 

“Hey! Uzumaki!” He turned around and Kiba strolled towards him with a man walking slightly behind him. He wore a nice, tailored suit. He was tall, had silver hair and was a bit older. He looked late thirties, maybe early forties. He was definitely handsome. 

“Kiba, hey,” He said. 

“This is my boyfriend,” Kiba announced. “Isn’t he handsome?” Kiba clung to his arm and gave him a brilliant smile. “I have the night off so I wanted to show him where I work.” 

“Oh, well, it’s nice to meet you,” Naruto said. 

“Pleasure is all mine,” The man said. “I’m Kabuto.” 

“Naruto,” He introduced himself. “I should be heading in though, I have to get ready for my shift.” 

“We’re gonna go get some dinner then stop by. Tell Gaara he better perform his ass off for me.” Kiba blew him a kiss and the two continued walking. Naruto watched for a few seconds then went inside the club. 

Gaara was sitting in the chair, legs curled up, headphones on, eyes closed. Naruto walked past him but as he did, Gaara opened his eyes and shook off his headphones. 

“Naruto!” He said. “Did you ever decide what you were going to do? About the dancing thing?” He followed Naruto into the locker room and leaned up against his own locker. Naruto set his stuff down. 

“I don’t think it’s for me.” 

“Well thats a shame. I’m sure you would bring in a lot of customers.” 

“Thanks, I guess?”

“It’s a compliment,” Gaara said. He sat down on the bench in the middle of the room and pulled his phone out and was scrolling absently.

“Oh, Kiba’s coming by later to watch you,” He said. Gaara set his phone down and looked up at him. He pulled off his shirt and shrugged on the black button down he had in his locker. 

“Oh? Thats nice,” He said. He looked a little down. Gaara was someone who never let his feelings show, he was a pretty mellow guy. But when he did let his emotions show, it was obvious. 

“He’s bring his new boyfriend,” He added. Gaara got up and went to his locker. Naruto finished changing as Temari walked in. 

“Oh, Naruto, good. We’re short tonight so you’re gonna be the only one on the floor. I’m pulling Sasori onto the stage tonight.” She was on her phone and never looked up. 

“Okay, thanks.” He threw his stuff in the locker and slammed it shut. He hated being the only one serving, but it shouldn’t be too busy tonight. There was no specials tonight so it would probably just be the usuals. He could handle that. 

“Gaara, you’re up soon so make sure you’re ready. I’m going to have Kakashi after you then Tenzou so make sure you don’t let them leave early. They like to do that. I have to duck out for a call around eleven so i’m counting on you,” She said. Gaara nodded along but his eyes were glazed over. Naruto ducked out and headed to the floor. 

The lights were low, there were only a handful of people on the floor. He walked over to the bar where Kankuro stood. He was surveying the floor, looking bored. 

“Anything I can do?” He asked. 

“Nah, just make your rounds.” Naruto nodded and headed through the tables. He asked the customers what he could get them but they just grunted half-assed responses. He went back to Kankuro and sat down at the bar. “It’s going to be a slow night.” Kankuro noted. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. 

The stage lights flipped on and the announcer behind the stage announced Gaara’s entrance. Gaara walked on stage and went straight for the pole. Hip hop music started playing and there were some muffled talk amongst the customers as he started his performance. Gaara was always a crowd pleaser, he was sweet and kind of a tease. He wasn’t a whore, he never paid much attention to the customers, even when they came up to the stage for personal dances. Naruto didn’t actually know why he danced at all. It didn’t seem like he liked it that much. He’s been here longer then anyone, being Temari and Kankuro’s younger brother and all. A family business he supposed. 

He threw off the leather vest he wore and hopped onto the pole and flipped upside down. He moved with the music as if it was a part of him. He was very particular about the music he chose. 

He slid down to the floor and swayed his hips, getting onto his knees. He crawled around the stage, moving with each beat with total ease. He got onto his knees and bounced up and down, moving his hands behind his head. He got some cheers from the crowd. 

He got to his feet then and then dropped down, ass out. He bounced up and down and then climbed onto the pole. He climbed to the top, touched the ceiling and then slid down halfway. He kicked out his legs and then flipped upside down again. He held himself up with his hands and kicked his legs out, back and forth. The music started to end. He dropped to the ground. he raised his pelvis up and started grinding against the pole. He held onto the pole and started twerking, snapping his head back and forth. 

The music ended. He got to his feet and headed off stage. The music continued on the playlist as the next dancer got ready to go on stage. He did always like watching Gaara’s performance because he really incorporated dance into his movements. He wasn’t greedy for tips, it seemed like he did it because he had to, but Naruto suspected he really did like it. 

“Oi,” Kankuro snapped. He pointed to some new customers walking in. Naruto followed his gaze and his heart dropped to his toes. 

Tenten and Sakura walked in.


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto walked up to Tenten and Sakura, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed. They came here specifically because they knew he worked here. This wasn’t a place he liked to bring his friends. 

“Hey,” He said, walking up to them. Tenten split into a grin and hugged him, quick. 

“Hi!” She exclaimed. “Wow, this is a lot nicer then I thought it would be,” She said, looking around. 

“What are you guys doing here?” He asked them, keeping his voice low. 

“You know I love a good gay bar. But also we wanted to see where you worked!” Tenten said. “Come on, lets sit up front.” She grabbed Sakura by the wrist and dragged her to a table close to the stage. He glanced back at Kankuro, but he was ignoring him. He followed after them to the table they chose. 

“Do you guys want anything to drink?” He was trying to keep his cool. 

“Yes, white wine, please,” Sakura said. 

“Seven and seven,” Tenten said. Naruto walked back to the bar and gave the order to Kankuro. He returned with their drinks and worked the tables, doing his rounds. He kept an eye on them the whole time. 

Kakashi was next on stage. He only performed a couple times a month, but he was always a big crowd pleaser. When he came onto stage, wearing a pair of baggy sweats and no shirt, Tenten and Sakura starting clapping and catcalling. Kakashi winked at them and his song started. As he danced, Naruto started wiping down the tables. He tried to ignore them, but he kept looking over. He hated this feeling. He felt like he was up there right now, exposed. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked it. 

Sasuke: Sorry about earlier. 

Naruto ignored it and put his phone away. He would deal with that later.

“Naruto!” Sakura waved him over. Kakashi finished his performance and was walking off stage. He walked over to them. “You should have told us about this place earlier. It’s really great,” She gushed. “Is it only stripping?” 

“Well no, its sorta a sex club, but not everyone knows that.” 

“Wait, a sex club?” 

“Yeah, people come here to have sex. We don’t have that many dancers right now so it’s mostly just Kiba fucking his regulars. The summer is a little busier.” 

“Oh,” Sakura said. “You don’t mind if we stay, right? We’re not gonna get you in trouble?” 

“No, of course not. I’m off at two, but ya’ll don’t have to stay that long.” 

“How do I access the sex part of the club?” Tenten asked, leaning in. 

“Okay, keep your voice down, and you have to talk to Temari. She sets up the appointments. It’s pretty hush hush so don’t tell her I told you. If we get found out, the place’ll get shut down.” 

“Oh, right, okay. Oh, congrats on getting to go to the conference this weekend,” Tenten said. 

“Thanks.” He returned to his tables. He took a fifteen minute break in the lounge room. Gaara was listening to music, eyes closed. This was how he spent most of his down time. He didn’t have to be on again until one, but it was almost midnight now. 

He walked back out when his break was over and Tenzou was up on stage now. 

He was at the bar when the door opened and someone walked in. He looked up to see who it was. 

Sasuke. 

He gasped, heat rushing through his body. Sasuke looked around the room and his eyes found him. He strode towards him, looking determined. Naruto looked over at Tenten and Sakura, but they were glued to Tenzou’s performance. 

“Why didn’t you answer?” He demanded. 

“What?” He was confused. 

“You’re phone. I texted you, apologizing, and you ignored it.” 

“Can we not do this here?” He asked. Sasuke grabbed his hand and dragged him to the back. “Seriously, Sasuke you need to go-“ He was cut off by Sasuke’s lips. He kissed him hard, pushing him up against the wall. Naruto felt hot, but he also knew this was a bad idea. They weren’t completely hidden, if Tenten or Sakura headed to the bathrooms, they would be spotted. But Sasuke didn’t know that. 

He pushed him off and wiped his mouth. “Seriously, you need to go.” 

“Why?” Sasuke demanded. “Look, I have to be professional at work, okay? I can’t be flirting with you and kissing you all the time. I have work to do.” 

“I know that,” Naruto said. He felt flustered. Thats not why he was upset. Sasuke was treating him like a kid right now. “Look, can we do this later?” 

“I came all this way, i’ll wait until you get off work.” Sasuke turned on his heel and headed to one of the tables. He stopped mid stride as Sakura was headed to the bathrooms. Sakura stopped. They stared at each other. Naruto felt his breathe catch. Oh god, what do I do? 

“Sasuke?” Sakura asked, peering closely at him. “Um, what are you doing here?” She asked. Sasuke looked around, and Naruto knew he was trying to find a viable excuse as to why he was there. 

“I told him!” Naruto jumped in, jogging up to them. “I let it slip where I work and he came to tell warn me to not let it interfere with my internship.” It was a terrible lie, he was a terrible liar. 

Sakura stared at them both. Tenten hadn’t noticed what was happening yet. Good. 

“Yeah, I was downtown and I wanted to tell him not to get carried away,” Sasuke added lamely. 

“Oh,” Sakura said. She didn’t buy it. He could tell. but she wasn’t assertive enough to tell them so. “Well, um, it’s good to see you. Excuse me.” She walked past them, shot Naruto a look, and went into the bathroom. Naruto let out a breathe and Sasuke turned around to face him. 

“You could have told me they were here,” He hissed. 

“Sorry, I tried.” 

“Well, I should go. Don’t worry about later.” 

He turned to go. Naruto wanted to reach out, to stop him. He felt like he did something wrong. As Sasuke headed for the door, Kiba walked in. Fuck. What was with tonight? Kiba met eyes with Sasuke and broke into a smile. 

“Sasuke! My, did you miss me that much?” He swung his around around Sasuke and steered him back towards the stage. “I hope you aren’t leaving! I’m here now!” Kabuto trailed behind him, awkwardly. Sasuke glanced over at him and Naruto just hung his head. They were fucked now. He could say goodbye to ever sleeping with him. 

Tenten turned around then and saw Sasuke. “Sasuke? What the fuck?!” She got to her feet and went to greet him. “I didn’t know you frequented these sorts of underground places!” She said, laughing. Sasuke looked like he wanted to die. Naruto walked up to them. Perhaps he could helped mediate the situation a bit. 

“Kiba, this is my boss, Sasuke Uchiha,” he introduced. “But he was actually just leaving.” 

“I know who he is, silly. He’s my best customer.” Naruto was hoping he'd go along with it, so Tenten didn't know they knew each other. Oops. 

“I should be going,” Sasuke said. He got to his feet and Kiba pouted. “It was good seeing you again. Tenten, Naruto,” He nodded towards them and fled. Naruto watched him go. He stopped at the door and looked back at him. Naruto looked away first. 

“I cannot believe he was in here,” Tenten said. “What was he doing here?” She asked.  
“He came to see Naruto,” Sakura said, behind them. Tenten’s eyes widened. “Not like that. No, he found out about this job and came to warn him to not let it interfere with work.” She sat down at their table and finished off her drink. Naruto could have hugged her. 

“Bullshit. He’s obviously in love with you,” She said. “Naruto, sleeping with the boss already? I’m so proud!” She laughed. 

“Please don’t,” Naruto said, shaking his head. “We’re not sleeping together. I’m pretty sure he hates me.” That part wasn’t a lie. After this he wouldn’t be surprised if he never spoke to him again. He should have just answered his stupid text. 

“Nuh-uh. I don’t buy it.” Tenten sat down and sipped on her drink but didn’t say anything more on the subject. Naruto really wished they would leave. 

The rest of his shift seemed to drag on. All he could think about was what happened and how bad it went. There’s now way anyone bought their lame excuse. He was pretty sure Tenten was going to tell everyone. And it’s not like he could stop it. If he asked her not to say anything, it would make it seem like they really did have something to hide. He knew Sakura wouldn’t say anything. He just hoped if it did go around it didn’t ruin Sasuke’s reputation too badly. 

“We’re heading out, Naruto,” Sakura said. Naruto turned around, surprised. 

“Oh, okay. Have a goodnight,” He hugged her goodbye and waved to Tenten who was already at the door. Sakura headed out. 

“Friends of yours?” Kankuro wondered.  
“Coworkers,” He clarified. He checked his phone to see if perhaps Sasuke texted, but nothing. He sighed. Figures. 

He finished up his shift and headed home. He got off the train and drudged on towards his complex. His legs felt heavy and his head hurt. He needed sleep. 

He forced himself to go up the stairs to the second floor. 

“Hey.” He stopped and looked around. He'd been in such a daze, he hadn't even noticed anyone or anything. It was like he was on autopilot. Sasuke was sitting outside his apartment door. He looked like he’d been there a while, he had a book out and his jacket folded in his lap. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked. 

“I wanted to see you,” He said. “Can I come in?” 

“Um, sure.” He unlocked the door and let him inside. He flipped on the lights and realized how badly he needed to clean. “Sorry, I didn’t expect anyone over.” He quickly picked up some trash and tossed it away and straightened up the couch cushions. Sasuke stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. This was worse then when his Uncle came by. 

“I’m not mad, by the way,” Sasuke said.  
“Oh? Well you should be. I should have texted back.” 

“It’s not that big of a deal. I overreacted by coming down. I don’t normally react that way.” 

“How do you normally act?” He asked. Sasuke looked at him, his dark eyes were intense. 

“I don’t like people. I don’t connect well. I don’t let people in. I use people for my advantage. But then I met you. I feel like I owe you a confession or something. I don’t really understand why.” 

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” He said softly. 

“I know I don’t. Since I met you, I can’t get you out of my head. I’ve tried.” Sasuke's eyes were trained on him, and it made Naruto feel vulnerable and exposed. 

“I can’t stop thinking about you either,” He admitted. 

“I wasn’t being serious when I said I could fall for you. But now I think that might be true. I don’t know whats wrong with me.” Sasuke walked up to him and pressed his hands against his cheeks and titled his head back to meet his kiss. Naruto closed his eyes and kissed him back. Their tongues met, and he felt like he was being swallowed whole. He wrapped his arms around his waist and moved closer against him. He was warm. 

“Wait,” Sasuke broke the kiss. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose for some reason. “I didn’t come here for this.” 

“You don’t have to leave.” He was asking him to stay. 

Sasuke looked down at him and he hoped he couldn’t see the pleading in his eyes. He’s never felt so vulnerable in his entire life. He felt like he was up on stage, naked and exposed. 

He walked past Sasuke and flipped on the bedroom light switch. He stood in the doorway, beckoning him with a look. Sasuke took a moments hesitation and then followed him in. He felt so bold, but he was ready. Having Sasuke admit his feelings, even though it wasn't much for a confession, it made him want to go further. He'd put it off long enough, he was ready to lose his innocence. Sasuke waited for him by the bed. Naruto met him and they started kissing passionately. 

 

“Ow,” Naruto winced. 

“Just relax,” Sasuke cooed. Naruto bit onto his pillow and squeezed his eyes closed. “Does it feel good yet?” He asked. Naruto shook his head. “Okay.” He drizzled more lube onto his asshole and inserted a second finger. He started pressing and pushing and exploring. Naruto felt something and he thrust his hips forward in response. “Ah, there it is.” 

“Put it in,” Naruto gasped. Sasuke chuckled. He felt something poke against his asshole and then he was being penetrated. He gasped. The sensation was unlike anything he’s ever felt. He wished he’d had time to practice with the vibrator first. 

“Ugh, you’re so tight,” Sasuke breathed. He was panting too. Naruto raised his hips higher and held his breathe. “Stop clenching,” Sasuke ordered. As if he could do that. He couldn’t control any part of his body right now. 

He stroked Naruto’s cock, which was dripping wet now. Naruto shook his hips and moaned against the pillows. Sasuke started thrusting, slowly at first. It hurt, yes, but it also felt sort of good. As Sasuke thrust deeper, he started moaning too. Naruto blushed. He couldn’t believe Sasuke was moaning. He was happy that he was the one making him feel good. 

“Naruto!” Sasuke moaned as he came. Naruto was on the verge but he hadn’t come yet. Sasuke pulled out but he kept his hand tight around his cock. He moved it faster and faster, Naruto was panting hard now. He quivered beneath Sasuke's cold touch and felt the build up of pleasure and then he came, right into Sasuke’s hand. 

“Sorry,” Naruto murmured. He rolled onto his back. Sasuke got off the bed and went into the bathroom. He heard the water running. When he came back out he tossed Naruto a towel. 

“That was surprisingly good for your first time,” Sasuke said, sitting down on the bed. Naruto cleaned himself up, but he would definitely need a shower. His ass hurt. Not only his ass though, his hips and waist and legs hurt. “How was it?” Sasuke asked. Naruto looked up and met his eyes. There was a desperation in them he’d never seen before. Was Sasuke unsure of his status as a sex god? Perhaps so. 

“I don’t really know. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it also hurt a lot too.” 

“Thats normal,” Sasuke said. “You could try prepping yourself before hand too.”

“Would you ever bottom?” Naruto asked suddenly. He felt embarrassed asking, but Sasuke didn’t laugh. 

“If thats something you wanted to do, sure. But i’m usually a top. You know, you could always try sex toys to get used to the feeling. I promise, it can be very pleasurable.”

“Actually, I bought one today,” He admitted. He was burning up even talking about this. Sasuke’s eyed widened and he laughed. He had such a nice laugh. He didn’t laugh a lot, but when he did, it was the most pleasant sound. 

“Really! Can I see it?” He asked. Naruto nodded his head and got up and retrieved it. It was still in the box. He took it out and handed it over. “Wow. I used to use one of these in college. Back then I bottomed for anyone who asked. I went through a slut phase, mind you,” He said. Naruto couldn’t believe he would admit to something like that so casually. 

“I don’t really know how to use it,” Naruto said sheepishly. 

“Do you have any batteries?” Sasuke asked, turning the vibrator around. Naruto reached into the junk drawer of his desk and pulled out two batteries. Sasuke put them in and turned it on. It started vibrating and even rotated. “Oh, this is going to be fun. Get on your stomach, ass up,” He ordered. Naruto stared at him, shocked. He just came! He couldn’t go another round, his ass was on fire. 

“I don’t think I-“ Sasuke dragged him onto the bed and forced his hips into the air.  
“I love this position on you,” Sasuke murmured against his ear. “Now relax.” He grabbed the lube that was tossed on the floor and poured some in his asshole. “You’re still wet,” Sasuke noted. Naruto felt the vibrator pulse against his asshole and it slowly went in. He gasped. The sensation was still so foreign to him. 

Sasuke pushed it all the way in and Naruto was gasping now, on the verge of coming again. He rotated his hips and started shaking, his entire body was hot. He was panting, he couldn’t control his body now. He reached between his legs and started stroking his cock, begging for release. 

He came. 

“Now that was quick,” Sasuke said. He pulled out the vibrator and tossed it aside. “Now when you’re alone and you think of me, you can use that bad boy.” 

“I don’t know,” Naruto said. He stared at the vibrator warily. It was soaked. He picked it up by the end and brought it into the bathroom. He set it in the sink and walked back to the bed. He crawled under the covers, he was so sleepy now. “Are you going to stay?” He asked. Sasuke was already laying down beside him. 

“If you want me too,” He breathed. Naruto closed his eyes and he felt Sasuke’s arms wrap around him. He felt safe.


	5. Chapter 5

His alarm woke him up. He turned it off, annoyed he had to get up. He felt so tired still. As he moved around, his back started to ache and he remembered what happened last night. He sat straight up and looked around. Sasuke was nowhere to be found. Maybe he left. 

He rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Right as he turned the knob, the door flew open and Sasuke stood there, towel wrapped around his hips, his chest bare and glistening from the shower. 

“You’re up, good. I have to go in early today. Sorry I used all the hot water,” He said, walking into the bedroom. “Do you have something I can borrow? Never mind, I’ll have my assistant bring me something.” He tapped away on his phone, oblivious. Naruto stood there, confused. He shook his head and quickly brushed his teeth. He started the shower, sure enough it was cold. “I’m leaving!” Sasuke called from the front door. Naruto poked his head but only to catch him as he closed the door. He was already gone. Naruto shrugged it off and took his cold shower as quickly as humanly possible. When he was done, he dried off and got dressed for work. 

He had eggs and rice for breakfast and prepared his lunch for the day. He felt nervous as he folded the slices of turkey onto the bread. Making a sandwich didn’t make him nervous, no. He just couldn’t stop thinking about Sasuke. There was no denying last night, it was the most intimate he’d ever been with another person. When he thought about all the sounds he’d made, what his face must have looked like, he started blushing and feeling quite mortified. Maybe that was why Sasuke left so quickly. Maybe seeing him that way last night was such a turn off he couldn’t bother to say it to his face. Or maybe he was so bad at sex, Sasuke regretted ever saying those things to him. 

He thought then about what Sasuke said. He didn’t know he could be so vulnerable, but maybe it was just a fluke. Maybe he didn’t think those things at all, maybe he was just trying to sleep with him. 

Or maybe he was overthinking it all and Sasuke really just had to go to work early. He supposed he would just wait and see. He wanted to text him, he wanted to see him again. But he wanted to play it cool even more. So he was going to wait. 

He packed his lunch and headed to work. He had another shift tonight at the club, it was a specialty night. Tonights theme was half-off lap dances if you pay for an hour in the private rooms. Meaning, if you pay for sex you get a discount on lap dances. Naruto hated these theme nights because it always drove in dozens of customers, making his night super busy. But he had a short shift, hopefully it will be over quickly. 

His phone started ringing as he walked. He pulled it free and looked. Sasuke. His heart flipped and he couldn’t help but smile. He answered on the second ring. 

“Hello?” He answered. 

“Hey, I forgot to ask if you wanted to have lunch in my office today. We can play it off, pretend we’re going over tomorrows agenda. I ran out so fast I forgot to ask.” His voice sounded distant on the phone, but just hearing him made Naruto happy. 

“Sure, that would be great,” He said. 

“Oh and also, I had a really great time last night,” He added. Naruto started blushing again. He crossed the street and walked up to the building. 

“I did too,” He said. He thought about what Sasuke must be doing now, was he smiling? Was he happy? Did he feel as giddy as Naruto felt? “I want to do it again,” He added after a short pause. He felt so bold. Hinata waved at him as he went to the stairwell. 

“I have to go, we have our meeting in a few minutes.” 

“Okay, bye.” He hung up smiling. What was this feeling? This overwhelming giddiness he felt. He thought it was a crush, but this felt much more intense then any crush. 

“Naruto!” Sakura greeted him. “The meetings about to start. Come on.” She led him to the conference room. Neji and Tenten were already there. Shino was at his desk on the phone. They sat in the back and Shikamaru strolled in, yawning. 

“Good morning,” He drawled. His eyes swept over Neji and Naruto thought he started to blush. “Oh, Neji, can I see you in my office after this? It’s about last weeks presentation.” 

“Of course,” Neji said. Naruto couldn’t help but feel invested in their situation. He wanted to know the deal, but he knew he couldn’t ask either of them. He was being nosey. 

“Okay, Sasuke should be here soon. We’ll start when he arrives. Don’t worry, we just have to go over next weeks agenda since the boss will be gone tomorrow and Monday.” He sat down at the head of the table and laid his cheek on his palm and closed his eyes. 

“Sorry i’m late,” Sasuke said, strolling in. He had changed since this morning. He wore a cream colored woven sweater over black pants and brown dress shoes. He had his hair pushed back out of his eyes and he glanced across the room and their eyes met. Naruto felt his breathe catch. Sakura looked over at him and then at Sasuke. He quickly looked down at his notepad and felt his cheeks flush. He couldn’t let anyone know what was going on between them. It could end everything. “Good morning everyone,” He said. 

“Good morning!” Everyone said in unison. Sasuke fought back a smile at that. Naruto kept his head down and took pen to paper. He could feel Sakura’s eyes boring into him but he ignored it. Act normal. Act normal. He recited those words in his head over and over and yet he found himself acting very, very strange. He looked up for a glance and Sasuke was going over next weeks projects. Naruto’s lips parted. He watched Sasuke intensely, last night playing over in his head. Sasuke had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows now and had his hands on his slim hips. The stance was ridiculously sexy. Everything he did was such a turn on, Naruto could barely keep it together. 

“So, if there’s any delays, please manage while i’m not here. You all do a good job of that anyway.” He ran his hand through his hair casually. It fell back into his eyes and he sort of did a flip to get it out of the way. Naruto drew in a breathe. Sasuke’s black eyes found his and he stopped talking. Naruto bit his lip, he was having very, very dirty thoughts. Sasuke gave his signature smirk and heat rushed through Naruto's body. He stifled a moan with everything he had. He could feel his cock twitch against his jeans. He laid his notepad over it and clutched at it with everything he had. 

The silence must have gone longer then normal because everyone started murmuring, obviously confused at what was going on. Sasuke blinked, the spell was broken. 

“Ah, sorry everyone. Um, as I was saying…” He continued on with the meeting. Naruto let out a breathe and leaned his head back against the wall. 

“Are you okay?” Sakura whispered. 

“Ah, yes, thank you.” When the meeting came to an end, everyone filed out slowly. Sasuke remained at the front of the room, on his phone. Sakura left before him and he realized it was just him and Sasuke, alone. His heart started racing and he felt butterflies in the pit of his stomach. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke called when he got to the door. He paused and turned around. Hearing him call his name made the butterflies go wild. “Will you come to my office later?” He walked over to him and leaned close to his ear. He smelled so good, he was so, very close. Naruto breathed him in and sighed happily. “I think you know what I want,” He purred. Naruto felt his knees go weak. Sasuke smirked and walked past him. Naruto turned around and watched him go. 

He walked back to his desk, he felt like he was walking on air. 

“Naruto!” Tenten called from her desk. He stopped mid-stride and headed to her. “Do you mind going on a coffee run?” She asked. 

“Oh, sure,” He said. 

“Awesome! I’ll make a list.” She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down her order. “Neji’s upstairs so you can ask Shikamaru and Sasuke if they want anything.” She handed him the list and he walked around the office and got everyone else’s order. His heart was pounding as he got in the elevator and pressed the third floor. 

He got off and walked to Shikamaru’s office first. He stopped outside the door. 

“Tonight?” Neji asked. Naruto peeked around the door, which stood open, and Neji was standing up against Shikamaru, who was leaning against his desk. Neji had his hands around his neck and he was looking out the window. “I don’t have any plans, so that should be fine.” Shikamaru grabbed his waist and sort of tugged him closer. 

“I was hoping you’d be a little more enthusiastic,” Shikamaru said. He looked up at Neji. Neji was still staring out the window. He looked sort of sad. 

“I just have a lot of work to do, I have to go by one of my clients house’s today to look at the progress. But I want to, if I didn’t I would say no.” He finally looked down at Shikamaru and smiled softly. 

“Okay, good. Oh, I have to run across town so lets make this quick.” Neji backed away and Shikamaru got to his feet. Neji walked to the door and Naruto leaped back. He ran to the elevator and feigned just getting off. Neji poked his head out the door and noticed him. 

“Oh, Naruto. Did you need something?” He was feigning surprise, but Naruto noticed the underlining nervousness in his voice. 

“Oh, i’m going on a coffee run. Do you want something?” He asked, trying to keep his voice cool. 

“Oh, no, thank you.” He closed the door and Naruto fought every ounce of curiosity in him and headed to Sasuke’s office. His breathe caught in his throat when he saw Sasuke. He was standing next to his desk, hand on his hip, phone to his ear. He looked so casual. Naruto walked in and stood there waiting. 

“Okay, thanks. Bye.” Sasuke hung up his phone and laid it on the desk. “Ah, Naruto,” He turned to him and looked him up and down. “Close the door,” He ordered. Naruto shut the door and Sasuke sprung onto him. He pushed him up against the door and leaned in close, his lips were mere inches from his own. He ran his fingers against Naruto's lips and then stuck them in his mouth. “I’ve missed you,” He purred. 

“You just saw me,” Naruto pointed out, mouth full of Sasuke's slim fingers. Sasuke cocked his head to the side, simple yet unwaveringly cute. He pulled them out of his mouth and then Sasuke licked them with a delectable smile. 

“I know that. But we’re alone now, and no one comes in my office unless I ask them to. We’re completely alone,” He whispered the last part and it sent shivers down his spine. Sasuke smirked and then kissed him. “You’re so easy to ready,” He murmured against his lips. Naruto closed his eyes and his hands wrapped around Sasuke’s waist. Sasuke pressed one hand on the door by Naruto’s head, the other cupped his chin, holding him in place as they kissed. His knee came up between Naruto’s thighs and nudged his cock. Naruto’s whole body trembled. When he kissed Sasuke, it’s like nothing else existed. All that existed was them, in this moment. 

Sasuke dropped his hands and started unbuttoning Naruto’s shirt. When it was mostly unbuttoned, he got down on his knees and started kissing his stomach. Naruto grabbed his hair and leaned his head back. As Sasuke kissed him, he started undoing his belt. Naruto’s eyes opened and he looked down at what was happening. Sasuke had him unzipped now and he yanked down his pants and underwear. 

“What are you doing?” He gasped. Sasuke stopped kissing him and looked up. 

“What? You don’t want me to?” He sounded so sincere. 

“No, I just mean, why are you doing that here?” He lowered his voice, as if someone could even know what they were doing. He thought about Neji and Shikamaru and how obvious it had been what they were doing. He didn’t want anyone finding out about them. 

“I mean, did you think we were just gonna kiss?” He started laughing. “Relax, idiot.” Naruto leaned his head back and covered his face with his hands. Sasuke spit on the tip of his cock and started rubbing with his hand. Naruto shivered from the touch. His body was hot and he found himself holding his breathe with each quiver of his body. 

Sasuke wrapped his mouth around the tip and gradually took it in deeper. 

Naruto started moaning, it felt too good. Sasuke was obviously a pro at this, each movement was deliberate. As he was sucking him off, he stuck his finger inside Naruto's asshole. Naruto gasped aloud but he didn’t say anything this time. Sasuke obviously knew what he was doing. 

He stuck another finger in and Naruto felt on the verge of coming. It was all too much. 

“Ah! Ah! Sasuke, i’m gonna-“ Sasuke pulled out and Naruto came on his face. He couldn’t stop it, it’s like his body wasn’t his anymore. “Oh my god,” He said, straight faced. “I am so sorry,” He breathed. Sasuke sat back on his heels and licked his lips. 

“Can you hand me a tissue?” He asked calmly. Naruto hobbled over and grabbed a tissue from the desk and handed it to him. “You need one too,” Sasuke reminded him. Naruto looked down and saw the state he was in and winced in embarrassment. He grabbed another tissue and cleaned himself up. 

“Again, I’m really sorry,” He said. He pulled his pants up and sat down in the chair across from the desk. Sasuke sat behind his desk and crossed his arms. 

“It’s not a big deal, I prefer it in my face then in my mouth,” He said.  
“Did you want me to do anything for you?” Naruto suddenly remembered that this had all been very one sided. 

“No, I have work. But this was good, this was fun.” His eyes lit up when he said that and Naruto believed him. “Just remember this weekend, we’re not going to get much sleep. So come prepared,” He said, then winked. Naruto blushed deeply and got up. He started to leave but then stopped. 

“If you have any toys, you should bring them,” Naruto said. Whatever possessed him to say such a thing, he didn’t know. But he was getting more used to Sasuke, and more used to doing stuff with Sasuke. He was feeling quite brave right about now. 

“Hm, i’ll keep that in mind,” Sasuke said. Naruto smiled and left quickly before Sasuke could see him dissolve in a puddle of embarrassment. 

He got back to his desk and suddenly remembered the coffee he was supposed to get. He had the list in his pocket. Luckily no one noticed how long he was gone. It wasn’t more then a few minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. 

He left to get coffee. 

 

When he got to work at the club, it was like his mind was a million miles away. He couldn’t stop thinking about that thing that he and Sasuke did in his office. Every time he thought about it, he started blushing. He’s never been in this sort of relationship before, it was extremely exciting. It took all his self control not to text Sasuke. But he wanted to remain cool as long as possible. 

“Naruto,” He turned and Temari was walking towards him. She had her hair pulled into two buns at the back of her head which made her look a lot more youthful. Although she already was pretty young. “Kiba called in sick so I need you to get onstage. Just for the ending performance, it’s not a big deal.”  
“You want me to get up there and dance?” He exclaimed. Temari blinked. “No, thats not in my job-“

“I’ll pay you overtime.” He paused and pondered the idea. He didn’t hate it when he danced for Sasuke, but this was different. This was in front of dozens of people. People who would let him know if he was terrible. The sheer humility of it was enough to make him want to throw up. He couldn’t do it, theres no way he would do it. “And you don’t have to serve. We have two working tonight so you can just hang back here and let Gaara teach you some moves.” 

“I don’t know, I don’t think i’m any good at it,” He said. That wasn’t really the issue here, but there was too many things going on in his head to properly form them into words. 

“Look, by the end of the night most people have either left or are too hammered to even notice the performer. It’ll be easy, I swear. It’s only for tonight.” He bit his lip, contemplating. It didn’t really seem like he had all that much of a choice. 

“Fine,” He said. Temari smiled. 

“Thanks.” She walked past him and into her office. He stood there feeling like he lost a battle. Head down, he made his way into the locker rooms to put up his stuff. Gaara was sitting in the corner with his headphones on, reading a magazine. Naruto flung his bag into his locker which made Gaara jump. He yanked off his headphones. 

“What the hell?” 

“Sorry,” He said. He sat down on the bench and dropped his head into his hands. “Temari’s making me perform.” He couldn’t believe what he was saying. He wanted to leave. He should just quit. It’s not like he needed money to survive or anything. He could just become homeless, live in a box in some alley minding his own business and not dancing on a pole. This was definitely not what he signed up for when he applied to work here. 

“I heard. Temari asked me to show you some tricks.” Gaara got up and walked over to him and sat down. “Look, my first time on the pole was terrifying. I was so tense and so worried about looking stupid, I ended up looking worse then if I’d just relaxed. It’s really not that bad, the people come here to drink and get drunk. And the lights are so bright, you can’t even see any of the customers so it’ll be like you’re dancing alone. Just listen to the music and don’t think about anything.” 

“I don’t know how to pole dance,” He said flatly, looking up at Gaara with a pleading stare. 

“Sure you do! Remember when you first started working here, we used to stay past closing and dance on the pole? It was fun. Just think about it that way. If you have to take a few shots before hand, thats totally understandable.” 

“Help me, Gaara!” He cried. 

“Relax, okay? Come with me.” He grabbed Naruto’s hand and led him to the back where the extra pole was. They had one back here for loosening up, practicing a bit before shows. Naruto never really went near it. “I’ll show you some moves, okay?” 

Gaara hopped onto the pole, one hand above his hand, his leg wrapped around. His free hand and leg were out in the air and he slowly spun himself down to the floor. “Not so bad, right? Okay, now you try.” 

Naruto walked up to the pole as Gaara took a seat. He felt so nervous, his hands were sweaty. He took a deep breathe and hopped onto it. He knew the basic principles behind using the pole, but this was different. This was on a hole new level. He quieted his mind and did what Gaara showed him. 

“Okay, that was good! Honestly, I don’t know what you’re so nervous about, you’re a natural,” Gaara said kindly. 

“Thanks but this really isn’t something I want to be natural at." He realized what he said. "Sorry,” He added. 

“No, its okay. I certainly didn’t see this for myself when I was young. But here I am, making the best of it.” 

“Have you ever thought about quitting?” He asked, sitting down beside him. 

“I have, but honestly it’s the only thing i’m good at. I’ve made a name for myself here, one i’m proud of. I don’t need anything more then that.” 

“Thats really-“

“Gaara!” The server, Karin, ran in then. She looked frantic, her face was streaked with blood and she was covered in it as well. She had a manic look in her eyes. “Come!” She ran back to the side door that led to the alley. Gaara jumped to his feet and they both followed her. 

When Naruto pushed the door open and looked, his heart seemed to stop. 

Kiba lay against the wall, his face was bleeding, his stomach was bleeding, blood gushed all around him. Temari was kneeling by his side, propping him up. She had soaked rags along his stomach. A huge pile of bloodied rags lay by her feet.

“What the hell!” Gaara cried out. He fell down beside Temari and his face was a white sheet, his eyes were wide in horror. Naruto felt sick to his stomach. 

“It was that guy, the ones he’s been seeing. He did this,” Temari said through gritted teeth. “He threw him out of his car and left him here to die. Come, help me get him inside.” 

“We need to call an ambulance!” Naruto said, though his voice was cracked and he didn’t know if he actually said the words aloud or in his head. 

“Naruto, help me lift him up!” Gaara yelled. Naruto hesitated. “Now!” He snarled a moment later. 

He ran to Kiba’s side and lifted his arm around his head. They lifted him up at the same time and dragged him inside. It had started to rain and the water was washing the ground clean. 

They laid him down in the bathroom and Karin went to get more towels. Gaara sat down beside him and seemed to be searching for the wound. His hands hovered over his stomach and he pried off his shirt, which was drenched in dark, red blood. It almost looked black in the poorly lit bathroom lights. 

“What the hell?” Naruto whispered to himself. Temari was on the phone in the hall, hopefully calling for an ambulance. Naruto couldn’t hear anything, there was an immense pounding in his head. He felt angry. He was so angry someone would do this. What kind of monster would do something like this? He screamed those questions in his head as he stared at Kiba, who was on the verge of passing out. His head lolled to one side and his eyes were fluttering closed. He looked so pale, there was no way he would survive. The amount of blood now soaking the bathroom floor was too much. Naruto didn't know much about medicine but he knew this wasn't good. Not at all. And he couldn't do a damn thing about it. All he could do was sit there and do as Gaara ordered.

“Naruto!” Gaara yelled. He was so focused on the state Kiba was in, he hadn't noticed Gaara yelling at him. He rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands, the parts that weren't covered in Kiba's blood. Gaara was snapping his fingers. “I need alcohol! I need something to clean his wounds!”

“Shouldn’t we wait-“

“Theres no time! If we don’t do something, he’ll bleed out. These wounds are really deep.” Naruto could only nod mutely. He left and went to grab the first aid kit they had under the bar. Kankuro was rushing the customers out. The club was closed. 

Naruto found it, but his hands were shaking so bad he dropped it twice. Kankuro came back and saw him. He grabbed the bag and headed to the bathroom. Naruto fell to the floor. He couldn’t stop from shaking. He was furious. Everything in him was itching to find that guy, the one who did this, and kill him. 

He felt something moving in his hand. He looked down and saw Sasuke’s name across his phone screen. He pressed the call button and held it up to his ear. 

“Naruto? Whats wrong? You called.” Naruto didn’t remember calling him. Maybe he did it on accident. “Naruto? Hello? Are you there?” Hearing his voice, Naruto broke down. “Whats wrong? Tell me whats going on.” His voice was firm. Naruto couldn’t talk, the tears kept coming. Why did it hurt this much? “Stay there, i’m coming to get you.” Click. He hung up. Naruto set his phone down and pulled his knees to his chest and pressed his face in his elbow. He could hear sirens, distant but growing closer. Temari was yelling. The paramedics burst inside moments later and went right past him, to Kiba. Kiba. He got to his feet and watched as they came back out. Kiba was laying on a stretcher, Gaara was running by his side, tears now streaked his face. He had blood all over him. Temari grabbed Gaara and held him still while the medics took Kiba out. Gaara pushed her off and ran after them. 

The sirens stopped and all that remained was silence.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Sasuke grow closer, visit Kiba and head to NYC for a "work" related weekend.

Naruto felt strong hands gripping his shoulders, touching face, then he was being pulled against something hard and he closed his eyes. 

“Naruto!” The voice sounded familiar but distant. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the club, sitting on the dirty floor. He was in a room. A room that he’d been in before but couldn’t quite place. “Naruto?” The voice pulled him out of his thoughts and the haze around his mind began to fade. He blinked, rubbed his eyes and looked around. Sasuke stood in the doorway, arms crossed and a concerned look on his face. “Sasuke?” His voice cracked. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and rubbed his throbbing head. 

“I’m glad you’re awake,” Sasuke said and walked towards him. He stopped at the edge of the bed. Naruto felt like he was being put under supervision or something. Sasuke stared at him with a look that wasn't quite worry, more like caution. “Do you remember anything that happened?” 

Naruto remembered. He didn’t want to though. But the images were ingrained in his brain. He nodded his head. Sasuke sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned back on his palms. 

“I spoke with that woman, Temari? She’s at the hospital now. She said the wounds were deep but there wasn’t any internal damage. He’ll be fine.” Naruto looked up at him and Sasuke’s eyes widened and he immediately took Naruto into his arms. “I’m so sorry,” Sasuke said. His voice sounded so close. Yet Naruto felt like he was a million miles away. “I know you probably want to go see him but I think it’s better if you sleep.” He let go and Naruto laid back in the pillows. Sleep. It seemed like such a foreign thing. But when he closed his eyes, sleep is exactly what he did. 

When he awoke again, it was morning. He could hear birds chirping outside, the sun brightly illuminated the room. He rolled onto his stomach and shoved his face into the pillows. Last night was a blur. His head hurt. 

He kicked the blankets off him and got out of bed. He was at Sasuke’s place. He didn’t remember being brought here but he remembered waking up here. He checked his phone quickly, which sat on the nightstand charging. He had several missed phone calls from Temari and Gaara. He supposed he would have to go to the hospital sometime today. 

He heard the sound of cooking coming from the kitchen, pans being moved, the sound of grease sizzling and popping. He walked out and stopped. Sasuke was standing in the kitchen, making eggs. He had his phone in one hand, his other hand on the panhandle. Naruto walked up behind him and threw his arms around his waist. Sasuke jumped and then relaxed a moment later, realizing who it was. 

“You’re awake,” He said. 

“Thank you, for yesterday,” He said. He closed his eyes and just held on. He didn’t want to let go. Sasuke smelled so good and he felt so warm. Holding him close, he felt so safe. After last night, he needed someone to just hold onto. 

“You’re welcome. I thought you might want to go visit your friend this morning so the cars ready downstairs when we are. And don’t worry about the conference. I’ve already told my assistant you won’t be going. I still have to go but I can move some things around and be there tomorrow morning instead.” 

“What? No!” He stepped back. “I’m going to this conference. Honestly it’s probably the best thing right now. I don’t want to be here.” 

“Naruto, you really don’t have to go,” Sasuke turned around but Naruto kept his grip. He wasn’t ready to let go yet. 

“It’s fine. As long as Kiba’s doing alright i’m fine.” The words felt empty. 

“Well, if thats what you want, then okay.” Naruto pressed his face against Sasuke’s collarbone and breathed him in. He smelled so good. “Naruto,” Sasuke said. Naruto looked up and Sasuke kissed him. Naruto closed his eyes and moved his hands up around his neck. Sasuke wrapped his arms around his waist and they stood there like that for a long time. Naruto felt really lucky to have him in that moment. 

The eggs started to burn. Sasuke broke away first and scooped them onto a plate. “Okay, first we’ll eat then we’ll go. We can go straight to the office from the hospital. We can stop at your place first though so you can get your stuff.” Sasuke brought the food onto the dining room table and Naruto sat down and started dishing out. He was starving. 

“Okay, sounds good,” He said through a mouthful of food. Sasuke sat down opposite him and they ate in comfortable silence. 

Naruto set his fork down and watched Sasuke eat. He could hear his phone going off in the bedroom but he ignored it. His head was swimming, he couldn’t barley think. He wanted to sleep. 

Sasuke raised his head and met his eyes. “Is everything okay?” He asked calmly.  
“Sorry. I’m going to shower, is that alright?” He didn't feel like answering the question. 

“Sure, go head.” Naruto got up and headed for the bedroom. He started undressed and Sasuke appeared in the doorway. His first instinct was to cover up, but that was silly. “Are you okay?” He asked seriously.  
“Yeah, i’m good. I just need to shower,” He said, trying not to look at him. Sasuke kept an eye on him as he finished undressing and started the hot water. He picked up his phone from the bed and had one new missed call from Gaara. He pressed redial. Sasuke walked out and he could hear the kitchen sink running and the sound of dishes being done. 

“Hey,” Gaara said as soon as he picked up. “Where are you?”

“I’m at a friends house. I’m headed over to the hospital soon.” He stared at himself in the mirror and sighed. He looked like death. “Hows Kiba?” He added. He tried to sound as normal as possible, he knew what Gaara must be going through. He didn't want to make it worse but freaking out. 

“He’s okay. Luckily the wounds weren’t super serious so he’s gonna be okay. He’s awake and talking and seeming like his usual self. I don’t know if he really knows what happened, the police were called out early this morning and they took his statement. I think Temari spoke with them as well. She was the first one to find him.” 

“How did this happen?” He asked. His mind couldn’t comprehend what happened last night, who would even do this sort of thing. 

“I don’t know. I don’t want to push Kiba to talk about it, but I want to know.” Gaara sighed heavily. “Fuck man, i’m exhausted. I might head home and take a nap then come back.” 

“Gaara, have you been there all night?” 

“Yeah, why?” 

“Nothing,” He said. He said goodbye and hung up. He hopped in the shower and let the hot water run down his back, his arms, his chest. He was exhausted. He dropped his head down and let the water flow over his head. He lowered himself to the floor and curled up into a fetal position. 

“Naruto?” Sasuke’s voice carried towards him through the sound of rushing water. He didn’t know how long he’d been in the shower. He lost track of time. “We need to go soon!” Sasuke called. Naruto picked his head up and looked at the open door. Sasuke was walking around the bed, he had his phone out and wasn’t paying attention to him. He watched through the open shower door. Sasuke pushed his dark hair out of his eyes and rubbed his neck. He stood at the side of the bed, still. He noticed Naruto watching after a few moments because he looked over at him. His expression softened ever so slightly. “You’re going to shrivel up if you stay in there any longer,” He said. Naruto stood up and stepped out. He dried off with the towel Sasuke had laid out for him. He walked out of the bathroom with the towel tied around his hips.  
He picked up the shirt Sasuke had laid out for him and looked at Sasuke with a raised brow. “Um, this isn’t really my style,” He said. Sasuke shrugged.  
“Do you want to go dressed in that?” He asked. Naruto grumbled under his breathe and got dressed. He preferred t-shirts and jeans, these clothes were way too nice for him. “Are you ready?” Sasuke asked. Naruto shrugged. “Okay, lets go,” Sasuke walked out. Naruto stared after him and for a moment he wondered what would happen if he hadn’t met Sasuke. If he hadn’t met him in the shady club he worked at. He would be awfully lonely right now. He was grateful to have him. 

He followed Sasuke to the car. When he got in, Sasuke turned on some music and again, he was grateful. He was feeling pretty lousy right now, it was nice to not have to think too much. 

They drove in silence, just the music to fill the void. Naruto leaned his head against the window and stared at the passing buildings, cars, people. They blurred together, just colors and shapes. The city grew wider as they headed downtown. The hospital was in the middle of the city, vast and unexplored. When they pulled up, parked and got out, he stared up in awe at the massive structure. 

“You’re like a kid,” Sasuke said. “Anything impresses you, huh?” 

“Shut up, i’m not a kid,” He said. They walked up to the hospitals main entrance and found Kiba’s room information. They got into the elevator and rode it to the sixth floor where he stayed. He was out of the intensive care unit, which was good. The nurse said he would be released in a few days. Naruto felt nervous as they stood in the elevator. He hated hospitals. They made him feel so uncomfortable. So many dying people, so much beeping and noises and smells. He would be glad when they left. 

They got off and found Kiba’s room. Temari was sitting by his side, while Kiba sat up watching tv. He had an iv in both his arms, tubes and wires stuck out from both sides, hooked up to lots of weird, beeping machines. His face was bruised, his hair was dirty and pushed behind his ears. He was eating a jello cup. 

When they walked in, both looked towards the door. Kiba broke into a smile. “Naruto! You came to see me!” He held his arms out and Naruto gladly gave him a hug. 

“Whats up man! How are you?” He asked. He sat down on the edge of the bed. Sasuke stood by the door, awkwardly. 

“Well, my boyfriend tried to kill me so not so great. But physically, i’m fine,” He said. Naruto cracked a smile at that. Kiba was still Kiba after all. “So,” He eyed Sasuke in the corner. “Don’t you owe me some gratitude?” He raised a perfectly arched brow and smirked smugly. Naruto glanced back at Sasuke, who was determinedly avoiding their gazes. 

“Hey, he just couldn’t resist me,” Naruto boasted. Kiba burst out laughing and Sasuke said, “Shut up, idiot.” 

“Have y'all had kinky office sex yet? Oh thats my favorite, its just the best,” Kiba gushed. 

“Kiba, shouldn’t you be resting?” Temari snapped. She had a magazine out in her lap and she didn’t bother looking at anyone, but her voice demanded the rooms attention. Naruto was glad she was there. 

“Sorry, sorry. But seriously, thanks for coming. Gaara’s here somewhere, I think he went to get coffee? He’s just been the sweetest, hasn’t left my side,” Kiba dropped his voice and said, “To be honest, I think he’s in love with me. We’ll see, he’s cute. Not usually my type, but look at where that got me.” 

“God help us all if you two get together,” Temari said. 

“I will make such a good brother-in-law,” Kiba said, “I’ll give you as many free lap dances as you want.” 

“I can already get those and I don’t want them, thanks.” 

“Naruto, I don’t want to rush you, but we shouldn’t stay too long,” Sasuke said. Naruto looked back at him and nodded. 

“Don’t worry. I just wanted to make sure he’s okay,” He turned back to Kiba. “Hey, I’m gonna be gone for the weekend but text me, okay? I’ll be back at work on Tuesday,” He said.  
“Oh don’t worry about me. I’ve got books, my phone and the sweetest ass this town has ever seen to keep me company.” 

Gaara walked in at that moment. His face dropped and he scowled in the direction of Kiba. 

“Hey Naruto,” He said. 

“Hey.” Gaara handed Temari a cup of coffee he was holding and sipped his own. “Well, we should get going,” Naruto said. 

“See you,” Gaara said with a wave. 

“Bye!” Kiba called as they walked out. 

Naruto felt a weight lift off his chest. Kiba was fine. Everything was fine. Last night felt like a dream. Well, more like a nightmare. Did it even really happen? All he could remember was blood. So much blood. But everything turned out alright. He could rest easy now. 

“You okay?” Sasuke asked. Naruto looked up at him and he couldn’t help but smile. Sasuke was staring straight ahead, his face was blank, his eyes clouded. Naruto’s smile dropped. He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but he noticed it now. Sasuke looked uncomfortable. And not the normal uncomfortable one gets from being in a hospital. He’s never seen him like this before. His eyes were blank, his jaw clenched tight. His hands were shaking at his side. They stepped into the elevator. Naruto wanted to say something, but he waited until they were in the car. Sasuke turned up the music and he figured it was so to take his mind off something. He realized then that there was still a lot he didn’t know about Sasuke. In fact, they didn’t really know each other at all. They haven’t even been on a proper date. 

“Sasuke, is everything okay?” He asked as the pulled out of the parking lot. Sasuke glanced over at him. His hands were taut around the steering wheel, his whole body was tense. 

“I don’t like hospitals,” He stated. 

“No one does. Did something happen? Did you lose someone-“

“Hey, do you mind if we stop to get some coffee? I need more,” He said, ignoring Naruto’s question. 

“Hey, idiot, you didn’t answer my question,” He said. Sasuke looked over at him again and his expression softened a touch. 

“Sorry, it’s just not something I want to talk about, okay?” Naruto could tell he was trying to be sensitive, but he just felt like he was being closed off. But they didn’t really know each other, he wasn’t going to pry just yet. 

“Sure, okay.” They drove in silence to the nearby gas station. Sasuke got out to get his coffee. Naruto turned up the music and stared out the window. He could understand why he was being closed off, but it just made him realize how much he wanted to know more. Maybe he could ask him to go on a date, a proper one. Dinner, maybe a movie, a walk in the park. Something where they could talk. He wanted to tell him about himself too, but mostly he wanted to know about Sasuke. What kind of person was he, really? He knew so little. What’s his favorite color? What kind of movies does he watch? Does he have parents, or siblings? These were such simple things and yet he knew none of them. He wasn’t into social media so he couldn’t stalk him there, he only knew headlines liked to call him the eternal bachelor. How old was he? He felt stupid now for not knowing anything. Basically all he knew was his name and he was a top, even then that changed. 

Sasuke got back in the car and handed Naruto a bottle of water. “Are we good?” He asked, looking at him. 

“Sure,” Naruto said. Sasuke turned the car on and they peeled out and headed towards the office. “Hey, whats your favorite color?” He asked. 

“Blue,” He replied.  
“Mine’s orange,” Naruto said. He felt a little better. One question answered. A million more to go. 

“So I texted Sakura we’re going to be arriving together, I told her I offered to pick you up since it’s on the way. Just in case anyone questions why we’re going together.” 

“Oh, okay.” 

“I also made reservations for tonight at this restaurant I like, it’s delicious. Just the two of us.” Naruto’s heart fluttered and he couldn’t help but smile. 

“Like a date?” He asked. 

“I guess.” Well, not what he really wanted to hear, but better then nothing. 

“Do you want to play a game?” Naruto asked. 

“What kind of game?” 

“Lets play twenty questions!” He said. Sasuke looked over at him with narrowed eyes and scoffed. “Fine, no game.” He looked out the window, slightly annoyed. Sasuke focused on driving and Naruto hummed a tune under his breathe. 

“Stop that,” Sasuke snapped. Naruto looked over at him and thought really hard about why he was dating this jerk. He had his moments, but right now was not one of them. Sasuke’s phone started vibrating in the center console. He picked it up right away. “Hello?” He waited a moment. “Yes…yeah, thats fine…the first panel is at noon…I won’t be speaking until four…the rooms should be booked so we don’t have to worry about that…are you there now…okay, bye.” He hung up and put his phone away. 

“Who was that?” He asked. 

“Shikamaru. He’s at the office now.”

“Oh, cool. So, are you speaking at this conference thing?” 

“Yeah, they asked me to be a guest speaker this year,” Sasuke muttered. Naruto watched his cheeks go red and he couldn’t help but smile. Sasuke glanced over at him and shifted in his seat. “Stop staring at me, it’s weird.” 

“Sorry,” He stared straight ahead. So Sasuke was capable of getting embarrassed too. He was starting to think the man was perfect. 

They pulled up to his apartment building. “Be quick,” Sasuke ordered. Naruto mock saluted him and ran inside. He grabbed his overnight bag he hardly ever used and stuffed some clothes in it without thinking too much. He was back in the car in under five minutes. “That was fast,” Sasuke said. 

“Hah, thats what she said,” Naruto burst out laughing. Sasuke stared at him, totally unamused. “Come on, not even a smile? That was funny!” Sasuke shrugged and pulled out of the small parking lot. Naruto threw his bag in the back seat and checked his phone. Nothing. He supposed he could be upset by this fact, but the only person he actually wanted to text him was sitting right beside him. 

“I’m asking you now, try and be on your best behavior this weekend. You’re not coming as my date, you’re coming as my intern. Just observe, take notes and assist me and Shikamaru and Neji with anything we need.” 

“I will, I will. I’m actually very interested in this profession, thats why I wanted to intern with your company. I’m really excited to go.” 

“So you actually like interior design?” Sasuke asked. 

“Yep! It’s fascinating. I majored in architecture, which I would love to incorporate eventually. My goal is to finish my internship and get hired on at a local firm. I would love to work more alongside the designers, not just doing office work. But I know that doesn’t happen overnight.” 

“Well, I can pull a few strings. I had no idea how interested you actually were. I can put you with Neji or Shino, you can shadow them for a week or so and see the inner workings of what they actually do.” 

“Seriously? That would be amazing!” He gushed. Sasuke smiled ever so slightly and Naruto wanted so bad to hug him, but he held back. They were driving, after all. And Sasuke didn’t strike him as a hugger. “Oh, have you noticed anything with Neji and Shikamaru lately?” He was curious, he was also hopeful Sasuke knew about them so he didn’t have to keep it a secret any longer. 

“What do you mean?” Damn. He didn’t know about it. “If you’re talking about them hooking up, thats not really news. They’ve been hooking up for a few months now. They don’t know I know, but it’s pretty obvious when Shikamaru’s inviting Neji to his office every morning.”

“Wait, you know about it?! Don’t you care? I mean, they're your employees.” 

“Honestly, i’m not really in the office enough to really notice if it affects their work so I don’t care. I told Sai to keep an eye on them, but they haven’t let it affect anything yet. How did you find out anyway?” 

“I saw them,” He admitted. “Aren’t you worried about them this weekend? Their rooming together, after all.” 

“Yeah, so? We’re rooming together. I’m not a hypocrite. If I’m gonna blow my employee in my office, Shikamaru should be allowed to as well.”

Naruto felt himself go red thinking about what they did. “I guess thats fair, in a really weird, creepy way,” He said, slightly under his breathe. 

They pulled up to the office and Naruto jumped out as soon as the car stopped. He grabbed his bag and met up with Sakura, who was waiting on the bench outside. 

“Hey!” She said brightly when he walked up to her. Her eyes slid over to Sasuke and Naruto had a feeling she knew exactly what was going on between them. “So you’re driving with the boss now? You certainly know how to butter him up,” She said with a knowing smile. 

“He just offered, since we’re all going to the same place.” 

“Hm, yeah. But i’m pretty sure he lives on the opposite side of town, is that right?” 

“How should I know where he lives?” He asked. 

“Good morning,” Sasuke said, walking up to them. “Where are Shikamaru and Neji?” 

“Their upstairs I think,” Sakura said, looking back towards the doors. 

“I’ll go get them,” Sasuke offered. He walked inside, and Sakura immediately grabbed Naruto’s arm, twisting slightly. 

“Please tell me you’re as nervous as I am,” She said. Naruto blinked, confused. “About the conference?” She added. 

“Oh, wait, why would I be nervous?” He asked. He was more nervous about spending the weekend alone with Sasuke. He kinda forgot about the conference itself.

“I mean, it’s a big deal, Naruto. Big names are going to be there. Theres gonna be hundreds of people, we’re going to be expected to take tons of notes and not embarrass Sasuke. It’s three days of nonstop work. I’m freaking out a little bit.” She didn’t look like she was freaking out, she looked excited. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled. He was starting to feel nervous now. Sasuke came back then, followed by Neji and Shikamaru. 

“Alright, we should go now,” Sasuke said. Naruto followed behind him and couldn’t help but admire the slinky way Sasuke walked, his slim hips swaying back and forth in his form fitting jeans, his sweater rising a little as he breathed. The back of his head was nice to look at too, his hair was spiky and looked so very soft. He wanted to run his hands through it, just once. 

“Naruto?” He jumped, half surprised and half embarrassed. He felt like he got caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Sakura fell into stride beside him with a smile. That smile was dangerous. “Did you have fun riding with the boss this morning? I mean, what an honor,” She said. Naruto chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head, a habit he acquired from his uncle years ago. 

“Um, yeah I guess. We didn’t talk much. Actually, I’m still a little shaken up. My friend’s in the hospital right now so i’m not all here.” 

“Oh my god! Are they okay? What happened?” 

“It’s nothing really, he, um, was sort of attacked last night. He’s fine, he’s recovering in the hospital right now. But I’m hoping this weekend takes my mind off things.” 

“Oh, of course!” Sakura grabbed onto his arm and he straightened up, suddenly feeling very self conscious of his every move. Sasuke glanced back at them then quickly faced forward. They headed for the train, each of them carrying on their own conversations. Neji didn’t say much, he looked a little nervous. Naruto wanted to talk to him, tell him what he knew. But he didn’t want to overstep. Naruto checked his phone, nothing. He sent an encouraging text to Kiba, he felt bad going away for the weekend after what happened but he knew Kiba would understand. 

His phone pinged and he looked down, expecting to see Kiba’s name on his screen. 

Sasuke: If you need to talk, just text me until we’re alone.

Naruto looked at Sasuke, but he was talking with Shikamaru. They made it to the train station, gathered around the unloading cars and waited for their train to arrive. He wanted to feel reassured, he was happy Sasuke texted him. But at the same time, he felt lonely. He hated that they had to be so secretive, it made him feel dirty. This was his first real relationship and no one could even know about it. He felt rotten. 

“Oh Naruto!” Sakura latched onto his arm again and he stumbled backwards. “This weekend is going to be so much fun! Tonight we should go out drinking, just us interns.” 

“Oh Sakura, that sounds great!” He said, laughing. She smiled up at him. She really was very pretty, and smart too. He didn’t know when he started thinking of her as his friend, but somehow he did. He wanted to tell her about Sasuke, but he also sorta had a feeling she knew already. But he wasn’t going to say anything, and neither was she. He appreciated her being so nice though. 

The train arrived and they piled on, one after another. 

Naruto sat next to Sakura, Sasuke sat alone, Neji and Shikamaru sat together. The train ride wasn’t that long, just four hours. Naruto was grateful to have Sakura, she was actually a lot of fun. 

He stole a glance across the aisle at Sasuke, but his eyes were closed and his head was resting on his palm. He looked peaceful. 

“You have feelings for him, don’t you?” Sakura whispered in his ear. He jumped at her words, startled by her closeness and by her meaning. 

“What?! I-i don’t k-know what y-you mean!” He stuttered out. Sakura shrugged and flipped the page of her magazine she was reading. She looked quite uninterested with the whole thing. 

“You don’t have to hide it anymore, it’s plain as day written across your face. You have a crush on the boss. It’s okay, everyone whose started working for him has had a crush on him, even the clients. Just be careful. He’s known as a terminal bachelor for a reason. He doesn’t date anyone, especially not his employees. Too many have tried barking up that tree and got bitten in the process.” 

“I don’t have a crush,” He said, he could feel his skin burning. He pulled open his manga he was reading and slid down in his seat and tuned out the rest of the train. Sakura’s words sounded like they came from experience. But he couldn’t help wonder how true they truly were. Was he just a temporary fling for Sasuke? Did he want to be more? He hated this feeling of unease, he wasn’t used to this. He was used to being alone, he didn’t know how to act. He also felt really gloomy all the time, which usually he wasn’t. 

He pulled out his phone, letting his book drop to the floor. He scrolled through their texts, rereading every single one for evidence of Sasuke’s feelings. He confessed to him once before, but he felt like he needed some sort of affirmation. Why was he being like this? He felt like a girl. Couldn’t he just be happy? 

He took a peek at Sasuke again, hoping Sakura wouldn’t notice. He then felt a strong pinch to his side and he yelped. He looked over at her and she was grinning. 

“Ow!” He said. She laughed. 

“You know, I can set you up with someone if you want, get you over this silly little crush you have,” She offered. He sat up and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his cheek on top of them. 

“No, i’m fine.” 

“Look, you’ll never get over a crush by sitting around waiting.” 

“Do you have a crush on anyone, Sakura?” He asked, turning the tables onto her. He didn’t actually care all that much, but since she liked teasing him about it, he figured she should know what its like as well. 

“No, not really,” She said casually. 

“Oh.” Well, not really what he was expecting. Sakura went back to her magazine and Naruto returned to his phone. The rest of the train ride went by slowly, and painfully. He kept glancing over at Sasuke, who was asleep most of the ride. Did he not sleep well last night? Naruto couldn’t remember anything after the club incident. 

Sasuke woke up, as if hearing Naruto’s thoughts, and looked over at him. He caught him staring and gave a little smirk. So annoying. 

Naruto gathered up his courage and went and sat down next to him. His heart was beating so fast in his chest, he felt like everyone was staring at him. 

“What are you doing?” Sasuke asked. Naruto leaned against the window and faced him, all smiles now. 

“Nothing, what are you doing?” 

“I’m sleeping, idiot. What do you want?” He plucked his phone from his pocket and ignored Naruto. 

“Thank you again, for last night. And this morning. I really appreciate what you did for me.” 

“It’s not that big a deal,” Sasuke said. Naruto noticed he was blushing slightly, his cheeks were redder than normal. He was so pale normally, so it was quite easy to see when he blushed, which wasn’t often. 

“I’m excited for this weekend,” He said. 

“I hope you’re taking this seriously.”  
“Of course I am! I take my future in this profession extremely seriously. I want to be a great designer some day.” 

“Good,” Sasuke muttered, transfixed now with his phone. 

“Sasuke, are you seeing anyone else right now?” He didn’t know where the question came from, it just slipped off his tongue. He bit down on his lip and silently cursed himself. Not that place to ask, idiot. 

Sasuke looked up, his eyes were wide and his mouth a hard straight line. Damn, he’s pissed. 

“No, i’m not. Are you?” He hissed. 

“No.” 

“Okay, good. Glad we established that. Now go back to your seat, I have work to do and you’re distracting me.” Naruto didn’t know why, but he felt happy. He went back to his seat, as he was told, and the rest of the trip went by a little bit faster. 

When they arrived at the station, they had two town cars waiting for them to take them to the hotel. It was quite busy at the train station, much busier and bigger then theirs back home. Naruto couldn’t help but look all around him, the huge monstrous buildings surrounding them felt like steel beasts watching over them from the skies. Sasuke had to grab his arm and drag him to the car or else he would be left behind. 

He rode alone with Sasuke in the back, their driver said nothing the whole way. 

“Do you always have a personal driver drive you places?” He asked. 

“No, usually I just drive myself.” 

“Thats…cool.” 

“Well, you asked,” Sasuke snapped. Naruto couldn’t argue with that. Sasuke worked on work so he couldn’t really talk to him. He looked out the window as they drove, in awe of the city splayed out for them. When they got to the hotel, he knew it was a ritzy one. It had a doorman and everything. They all piled out and checked into their rooms. Sakura was in one, Neji and Shikamaru in one and he and Sasuke alone in another. They split up to put their stuff away. Sasuke told everyone to have the night off, they’re to meet up for breakfast at seven sharp then head to the conference from there. 

Naruto carried the bags up the elevator and when it dinged on the 20th floor, they got off. Sasuke unlocked the door and walked in, flipping on the lights. The room was nice, exceptionally so. It had a lounge area, a flat screen tv, a mini kitchen, a huge king sized bed. Naruto stopped in front of the bed, confused now. Just one bed for the entire room. 

“Hey, Sasuke?” He called. Sasuke poked his head out of the bathroom. “There’s only one bed.” He pointed to the bed as if Sasuke couldn’t see it. Sasuke walked out, hands on his hips, head cocked to the side. 

“Yeah, so?” 

“So…we’re sharing a bed?” The idea seemed so foreign to him. 

“Yeah. We’re lovers, Naruto. Why shouldn’t we share a bed?” Naruto started blushing at that and he had to cover his face. He sat down on the bed and looked around the room. His heart was beating so fast, he could hear it in his own ears. “Are you nervous to sleep in the same bed with me?” Sasuke asked, kneeling down in front of him. He ran his hands down Naruto’s chest and over the edge of his jeans, yanking hard. Naruto leaned back on his palms, unsure what Sasuke was doing exactly. 

“No, it’s not that. What if someone walks in and sees us?” 

“We’ll just say there was a problem with the room, they couldn’t change it so we had to share. We’re both men, no one will even bat an eye.” Sasuke grinned. His fingers danced around his belt and then he slowly unbuttoned his pants and Naruto felt his cock begin to stir beneath Sasuke’s adept fingers. 

“Sasuke, what are you doing?” He asked, his voice cracking ever so slightly. Sasuke didn’t answer him, he worked on tugging Naruto’s jeans down to his ankles. Naruto’s face was as red as a strawberry, but he couldn’t look away from Sasuke. Sasuke was red too, for some reason. He was breathing hard and he swayed to the side slightly. “Hey, are you okay?” Naruto asked, touching his shoulder. Sasuke waved him off. He brushed his hand against his cock and Naruto forgot his momentary worry. He covered his face again and bit back a moan. 

Sasuke's hand moved aside to his thigh and Naruto peeked. Sasuke’s head was dropped down, his eyes were closed and he looked to be asleep. 

“Sasuke?” He asked. He shook him gently and he perked up. 

“Huh? Oh, i’m fine,” He said. Naruto yanked his jeans up and helped Sasuke to his feet. 

“Sasuke, are you sick?” He pressed his hand against Sasuke’s forehead, it was hot to touch. “You’re burning up!” He led Sasuke to the bed and helped him in. “You need rest. Don’t worry about dinner or anything, just get some rest.” Sasuke looked up at him with narrowed eyes and flushed cheeks. He looked so young and vulnerable like this. 

“Don’t tell anyone about this,” Sasuke muttered. 

“Don’t be an idiot. No one is going to care you caught a cold. Just relax, i’ll grab you some water.” He grabbed his jacket and then called back, “I’m gonna head to the store and get you some medicine.” Sasuke didn’t say anything so he grabbed his room key and left, turning off the lights as he went. 

He ran into Neji on his way out. Neji was standing by the elevators, arms crossed. His long black hair was loose, normally he wore it up in a bun. He almost didn’t recognize him from the back. He glanced back and Naruto smiled nervously at him. 

“Ah, Naruto. How are you? We didn’t get a chance to talk on the way over.” He had this way about talking, everything he said sounded important. He spoke with such elegance, no word was wasted. 

“I’m fine. Sasuke just came down with a fever so i’m getting him some medicine.” 

“Oh no, is he okay? I’ll come with you. I was gonna get some drinks but I can help you if you want.” He offered. 

“Sure! I don’t know much about this stuff, I never get sick.” 

“Lucky,” Neji said. They stepped into the elevator and rode it down. “I’m a little curious, i’ll admit. I’ve never seen Sasuke sick before. He’s always been careful not to let anyone see him weak.”

“I mean, it just sort of happened. He was-well, he was doing something and then he sort of fell asleep and I noticed how hot he felt. I don’t know, should I be worried about him?” He suddenly felt nervous, he wasn’t very good at being a caretaker. 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine with a little rest,” Neji assured him. “Are you worried about him?” 

“No. I mean, sure. He’s my boss, why shouldn’t I worry about him?” He said softly. 

“No, of course. I would worry if Shikamaru suddenly got sick.” 

“No, thats not what I meant-“ He stopped, realized what he was implying and snapped his mouth shut. Neji looked at him with a confused expression. “Sorry, never mind.” He was trying to pretend like he knew nothing about their relationship but he was terrible at keeping secrets. 

“Right,” Neji crossed his arms again and they waited in silence. When they made it to the first floor, Naruto was the first one out. The elevator was suffocating him. 

“I think the store is just around the corner,” Naruto called behind him. He walked outside and the crisp autumn air filled his lungs and he sighed a relieved sigh. He loved being outside. He didn’t wait for Neji, he headed straight for the store. It was right up ahead, small and empty. He walked inside and the bell chimed above his head. The store clerk behind the counter smiled at him, a young girl with pretty blonde hair and a young, fresh face. She went back to reading her magazine and Neji followed a moment later, chiming the bell once again. 

“Here, let me get what you will need, if you want to grab some sodas that would be great,” Neji said. They swapped roles and Naruto headed to the drink section. He knew Neji liked tea, he was always grabbing it from the vending machine downstairs. He didn’t know what Shikamaru liked, but he assumed dark, caffeinated soda. He grabbed what he thought was right and headed to meet Neji at the counter. 

“Great, I love this stuff,” Neji said, grabbing the tea from his hands. He set everything on the counter and paid. 

“You don’t have to do that-“

“Don’t worry about it,” Neji said. “I’m your senior, and you’re always doing things for me around the office so think of it is a partial payment back. I think Sakura wants us to go get drinks tonight,” They grabbed the bags and headed out. “Are you still gonna go?” 

“I don’t know, I shouldn’t leave Sasuke alone,” He said. Neji nodded, he was extremely understanding. 

“Yeah, it’s not really my thing, the bar scene. But I owe Sakura, and we don’t come to the city often. Personally, I would rather stay in the hotel room. I know Shika doesn’t want to go out. But I think it could be fun.” 

“Yeah, I would like to hang out with everyone again,” He admitted. “I’ll see if Sasuke’s okay with me leaving him alone for a few hours.” 

“I’m sure he’s fine with it, he doesn’t own you. Besides, he’d probably like the room to himself for a few hours.” They strolled into the elevator of the hotel and rode it to their floor. 

“Well, thanks again, and I’ll let you know if i’m going out.” He stopped outside his hotel room. 

“Sure,” Neji said. They parted ways. Naruto went inside the room, the lights were still off. He set the bag of medicine stuff on the counter and went to check on Sasuke. 

Sasuke was fast asleep. 

Naruto felt guilty at the idea of leaving him alone, but he wouldn’t notice in his current state. He sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the sleeping Sasuke. He looked so peaceful, so young. He often forgot they're the same age, it seemed wild. Sasuke’s cheeks were flushed with fever, his lips parted gently and he rolled onto his back. His forehead was glistening with sweat, his hair was pushed back out of his face. Naruto grabbed a cold compress and laid it across his forehead and left to meet up with the others. He had his phone on him, and he left a note. He wanted to stay back and take care of Sasuke, nothing made him happier. But he couldn’t do anything right now, Sasuke would probably be asleep all night. 

He met up with the others and they headed downstairs. He couldn’t stop checking his phone, just in case Sasuke called him. 

“Are you that worried about him?” Sakura asked. Naruto glanced over at her and shrugged, putting his phone away. 

“I mean, he is my boss. It’s normal to worry, right?” 

“Sure,” Sakura said. “But he’s not just your boss,” She pointed out. They walked outside and walked along the busy street, the sound of the city enveloping around them. Bright lights, loud voices, honking cars. 

“Um,” He paused. How should he respond? He had a feeling Sakura knew everything at this point. But he didn’t want to slip and say something if his gut was actually wrong. 

“Just admit it, you’re fucking Sasuke.” 

“Yes.” He couldn’t lie anymore. Sakura already knew. Everyone probably knew at this point. He’s a terrible liar. 

“Ha! I knew it!” Sakura called out, laughing. “God, way to go. Nailing your boss, you certainly are a naughty boy.” She jabbed him in the side, grinning. 

“Okay, but you can’t tell anyone.” 

“Sure, of course. Except Tenten already knows. And Neji probably does too. And Shikamaru definitely knows if Neji knows. And Shino’s pretty smart. I’m sure the only person that doesn’t know, is Sai.” 

“Fuck,” He said, grinning. “Oh well.” He was happy, for some reason. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. Everyone knew. He didn’t have to keep it a secret. Now if only he could explain this to Sasuke. 

He couldn’t wait to go tell him. 

They headed into the bar and Naruto ordered drinks. He walked back to the table, drinks in hand, and they sat in a dimly lit booth and talked about nothing and everything, getting drunk and laughing. He felt happy. He was happy. 

He forgot to check his phone.


	7. Don't Leave

When Naruto got back to the room, he immediately wanted to crawl into bed. It was late, too late. He hoped Sasuke was still asleep, however that was not the case. 

The room was dark, stuffy and hot. He threw his jacket down and checked on Sasuke. 

Sasuke was laying on the floor, panting. He was covered in sweat and he was moaning softly. 

“Sasuke?!” He fell to his side, not knowing what he was supposed to do. Sasuke didn’t open his eyes. He felt his forehead with the back of his hand and it was burning up. “What do I do?” He asked himself. He grabbed his phone and thats when he noticed the seven missed calls from Sasuke. Crap. He had his ringer gone off and he had been too occupied with drinking to check it? He dialed Neji’s number and waited as it rang and rang. No answer. “Damn it.” He was unequipped for this situation. What do I do?

He called Sakura next. It rang once before she picked up. “Hello?” She asked, sounding slightly groggy. Was she already asleep? 

“Sakura, can you come to my room? There’s something wrong with Sasuke.” 

“Of course, i’ll be right there.” She hung up and he tossed his phone aside. Sasuke’s eyes were dancing beneath closed lids. His cheeks flushed, he looked his age. A moment later there was a knock on the door. Naruto bolted to open it and Sakura ran right for Sasuke.

“Whats going on with him?” She asked, sitting down beside him. 

“I don’t know, he was feeling sick earlier today but he went right to sleep. I come back and find him on the floor, like this. I don’t know what to do!” He was growing more and more panicked. 

“Ok, don’t worry. I think he just has a fever. It might be from stress since it was so sudden. Can you get me a cold compress?” Naruto nodded, even though she couldn’t see it. He grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom and ran it under cold water and handed it to Sakura. She laid it over his forehead. “We need to get him undressed.” Naruto helped her strip Sasuke and together they dragged him onto the bed. He was muttering stuff now, half delirious from fever to make any sense. They left him in just his boxers, his entire body was glistening with sweat. He knew it wasn't the time, but he couldn't hope notice how sculpted Sasuke was.

“Is he going to be okay?” He asked, shoving away all the pervy things that went through his mind. They got him in bed and pulled the blankets around him. 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. He just needs rest. If he’s worse in the morning then we should call an ambulance.” She sounded so calm, how is that possible? His worry was showing through every crack, he could barely keep it together.

“Sakura, thank you,” He looked her in her bright jade-like eyes and felt all the worry drain out of him. “I’ve never dealt with this sort of thing before.” He sat down on the bed at Sasuke’s feet and watched him sleep. He still felt worried but having Sakura there made him feel better. 

“Do you have feelings for him?” She asked suddenly. In the dark he couldn’t see her face. But her tone was wary. He’s wondered before if she has feelings for Sasuke. Perhaps thats why she was so curious. Did she love their boss too? 

“Yes,” He admitted. The second time she’s asked. The first time he was afraid to admit it, afraid or what might happen if he gives this relationship reality. But he wasn’t afraid anymore. He was afraid of losing what they had, afraid of losing Sasuke. He didn’t want to hide it, he wanted to tell everyone. But it was complicated. He had to take in Sasuke’s feelings, how the rest of the world would react. It made him feel scared. 

“He’s going to hurt you,” Sakura said. Her voice was low, her words heavy. He felt a shiver run down his spine and a great sadness settled over him. He was worried she was right. 

“Do you also have feelings for him?” He asked her. In the dark, all he could see was the outline of her shape. Her arms crossed, her face turned away from him. The room was completely still, almost like the very air was waiting for her answer.

“I did, but not anymore. When he met you I knew he’d found someone he could turn to. I liked to think we were close, we have history together. He stopped coming to me when he met you. Sasuke has a dark past, he doesn’t open up to people easily. He’s terrified of losing someone he cares about. But I feel like he can open up to you, you’re kind and good and you won’t abandon him. He needs that. But he may not realize it and he may try to leave you. Just, if that happens, don’t give up.” 

“Sakura,” He paused. What she was saying was unnecessary. He could handle it, he could handle being hurt by Sasuke. He used to think being hurt by love seemed like the worst kind of pain. He would rather be alone to be in pain. But that was before he met Sasuke. Before he found someone worth getting hurt by. He would be glad to get hurt by Sasuke, as long as he was able to stay by his side, even for a moment. He must be out of his mind.

“I should go. Come get me if anything changes.” She left without another word, and he was too flustered to say anything to her. 

He undressed and grabbed a blanket and settled on the couch. He couldn’t sleep, her words stirred in his head making him feel restless. 

When morning came, he was wide awake. Sasuke hadn’t stirred much in the night, in fact, he was looking better. Naruto had changed the towel a few times to keep it cold. He checked on it now. He took the towel off and swept back Sasuke’s hair. The fever had gone down, his flush was little more then a tinge of color in his cheeks. He felt so relieved. 

Sasuke’s eyes sprang open and Naruto jumped, surprised. “Good morning,” He said. Sasuke pulled himself up and rubbed his eyes. 

“What happened last night?” He asked. “I tried to call you.” So he remembered. 

“Yeah, you were pretty sick. You had a fever but I think it’s gone down.” Naruto felt awkward for some reason. Caring for a sick Sasuke, seeing him so vulnerable, it worried him that Sasuke might not want to have him take care of him. 

“Oh. Well, thanks for taking care of me,” He said. Naruto blushed. “We should get some breakfast before the event starts,” He muttered, climbing out of bed. Naruto stepped back and let him pass. 

“Shouldn’t you rest some more? You shouldn’t push yourself.” He felt like he was nagging. Was this what it felt like to care about someone? He felt sick. 

“I’m fine,” Sasuke said from the bathroom. “Why, are you worried?” He poked his head out and smirked. Naruto scowled. “Idiot, you shouldn’t worry about me.” 

“Sasuke?” He had a lot on his mind, but something was weighing more heavily. Sasuke came out, towel wrapped around his naked waist, his hair wet. “Are you ever going to tell me about your family?” What Sakura said last night was edging on his mind, and he felt like he barely knew Sasuke. He wanted to know more about his dark, secret past. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but knowing Sakura knew more about Sasuke then he did bothered him. It was petty of him but true. 

Sasuke stopped, his back turned. He looked tense, his back muscles straining as he stood frozen in place. He finally turned around and his face was a mask of anger. Naruto felt he shouldn’t have said anything after all. 

“Who told you?” His voice was low, a whisper. But the tone was sharp. Naruto felt his body grow cold and he knew now he really shouldn’t have said anything. 

“No one said anything to me. What kind of response is that? I’m curious about you’re family. It’s normal to want to learn more about the other person you’re dating-“  
“Well it’s none of you’re business. Don’t ask about it again.” He grabbed his clothes and strode into the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind him. Naruto bit his tongue, angry at himself and angry at Sasuke. He got dressed and left. He was ditching the conference. He was angry and in a bad mood now. 

He left without anyone seeing him, thankfully. He had his phone but he decided he was going to ignore any texts from Sasuke. He needed to be alone. He could feel himself overreacting and being childish, but sometimes he couldn't stop himself. 

Was it really so wrong to ask about his family? What did he have to hide? Did it have something to do with his dark past? Was this some sort of anime? Who has dark pasts these days? He wanted to clear his head though, so he walked around the city, there was plenty to do and see. He wanted to get a souvenir for Iruka. 

He found a stand selling keychains and snow globes and kitchen magnets. He picked out a magnet and keychain and walked back to the hotel. He was ditching the conference but he didn’t want to get too lost. He needed to find somewhere to eat. He checked his phone and found two missed calls from Sakura. He played back the voicemail. “Hey, Naruto, where are you? Sasuke said you left without saying anything. We’re starting the first event and we sort of need you here. Call me when you get this.” He played the second one. “Naruto, come on. Where are you? Look, if you’re not feeling well can you just call me back? Sasuke’s pissed…just, come back.” He ground his teeth together and shoved his phone in his pocket. He felt like a child throwing a temper tantrum. But he was mad. And he was allowed to be mad. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Sasuke. He answered it without thinking. 

“Hey.” Sasuke said on the other line. 

“Hey.” He didn’t know what to say. 

“Where are you? We started half an hour ago and you’re not here. Sakura tried to call you, Neji’s wanting to go look for you. If you’re skipping the conference  
then fine. Although as your boss thats not going to look good for you. If this is about earlier, i’m not going to apologize. And if our personal relationship is getting in the way of our professional one then I think we need to reevaluate something.”

“What are you saying?” He felt his blood run cold, his heart stopped beating for a moment. Everything in him was screaming not to let it end here. 

“I’m saying maybe it’s not a good idea to date. I’ve never dated an employee before, I thought I could handle it but obviously this isn’t working. I don’t want to do this over the phone so can you please come back? I have to speak soon, but just come back.” 

Naruto felt defeated. He let his hand drop to his side. He could hear Sasuke talking but everything around him felt numb and sounds came in muffled. He looked up at the sky where dark clouds gathered around him. He stood in the middle of the sidewalk, angry hot tears flooding his cheeks. He pressed end call and everything stopped. He closed his eyes and he could hear his heart beating in his ears. This wasn’t what he wanted. 

What did he want? 

Shoulders bumped against his, voices started to fill his ears and time seemed to speed up again. He looked around, realizing how crazy he must look. He couldn’t go back now. He acted childishly and now he had to face the consequences. 

He dialed Sakura’s number as he headed for the train station. 

“Naruto!” She said, picking up on the second ring. “Sorry…hey, I have to leave for a second," She seemed to be talking to someone near her. "Whats going on? Where are you? I’ve never seen Sasuke so mad before.” He could hear voices around her, it was too loud.

“I’m going home.” He felt a terrible weight settle on his shoulders. He knew he couldn’t turn back now. 

“What? Why! Oh god, what happened? Did something happen between you two? Don’t be an idiot and lose your job over a stupid fight.” 

“It’s not just a stupid fight. He’s right. It could never work between us. He’s my boss. Look, I don’t want to talk about it. Tell him I’m going home and I won’t be coming back on Monday.” He hung up before Sakura could say anything. He felt a sense of dread fill his stomach. He was digging his own grave and he could do nothing to stop it. He didn’t know if what he was doing was a good decision or not but he didn’t have a choice anymore. 

He got to the train station and waited. He had an hour before his train arrived. He would have to ask Sakura to get his things, if she would still talk to him after he hung up on her. He sent her a quick text apologizing. He would talk to her later, he just needed time to think. He was being impulsive, he knew. It felt like he was falling down a hole, unable to do anything about it but watch. 

Ten minutes before his train was due to arrive, he heard shouting from behind him. He turned around, interested, and there he was. Barreling towards the platform, eyes wide and face a white sheet of unreadable emotions. Sasuke. 

He jumped to his feet. Sasuke stopped running and walked up to him, out of breathe. “I was calling your name,” He said.  
“What are you doing here?” He was surprised, so surprised he couldn’t even form the right words. 

Sasuke walked up to him and Naruto thought he was going to embrace him. But instead, Sasuke punched him in the face. 

He cried out, stumbling backwards. His cheek stung from where Sasuke’s fist met his face. He held it, and righted himself. He was pissed. 

“What the hell?! Naruto shouted. People around them looked shocked, some even moved in to help. Sasuke waved them away. 

“Why are you doing this? You’re quitting now too? What the hell happened?” 

“You happened!” He snapped, dropping his hand. “You acting like a jerk happened. And now you want to break up. I can’t come to work everyday and see you after this. It was wrong of us to start seeing each other, but it was wrong of me to expect anything from it. You clearly don’t want to let me in and I can’t just be your fling. You said you could fall for me. But you haven’t. You’ve just used me.” He felt tears stinging his eyes and he angrily rubbed them away. He didn’t want to do this, not here. Not in front of all these people. 

“I wasn’t lying when I said that,” Sasuke snapped. “And maybe I have fallen for you, maybe I haven’t. But you can’t decide that for me. I didn’t come here to say i’m sorry. I didn’t come here to make a big confession or beg you to stay. I came here because i’m pissed that you’re acting like a fucking child.” They were both pissed off and sad. He could see it in Sasuke’s eyes. But he couldn’t do what Sakura asked him to. He couldn’t not give up. It didn't mean he lied earlier about wanting to get hurt by Sasuke, this was different. Or maybe it wasn't different. Whatever, all he wanted was to go home. 

“Just go,” He said. He felt tired. “I can’t do this. I thought after last night something might change. I guess I shouldn’t have expected that. You’re right, I am acting like a child.” The train pulled into the station and the doors opened. People started piling in around them and they stood there, staring at each other in silence. 

“I won’t ask you to stay but if you leave now, it’s over.” Sasuke's words were like bullets to his chest. But his pride was dragging him further into his own grave. 

“Goodbye, Sasuke.” He turned around and boarded the train. He found a seat by the window and he watched Sasuke turn and leave. Tears flooded his cheeks for the second time that day. The train pulled out of the station and he rubbed his eyes. He bit back the urge to cry and stared out the window. The ride home would be hard. He knew he was being childish, but Sasuke fed into it. Instead of listening to him, he cast him aside. He told Naruto his feelings weren't valid and Naruto had a problem with that. He had every right to be upset. He was just so mad, he just wanted to cry.

 

 

When he got home, he cried for the third time that day. His first break up and he vowed to never fall in love again. 

The next day he boarded the train and headed to Iruka’s house. He hadn’t been home in ages and he needed to. He didn’t know if he was going to say anything about Sasuke, it hurt him too much to even think about it. But Iruka was good at comforting him. He needed to be comforted. 

Sakura texted him a few times, but he mostly ignored them. She was trying to make him feel better but it just made him feel worse. 

When he made it home, Iruka was waiting for him at the station. Naruto broke into a smile and met him with a hug. 

“You should have come home sooner,” Iruka said. He smelled like ramen and cologne and it felt like home. Naruto fought back tears. 

“I know, i’m sorry. I brought you a gift.” He handed him the souvenir bag from New York. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” Iruka said. “But thank you.” They walked to his car and headed to the house. The house he grew up in. He missed it like crazy. “Is everything all right? You look sad.” 

“Yeah, there’s been stuff going on recently but i’m fine. No need to worry about me,” He lied. 

“I am worried about you. You’re coming home on such short notice can’t be a good thing. Not that i’m not happy you’re here, but I want you to tell me if somethings going on.” 

“Really, i’m fine,” He lied again. Iruka looked over at him with doubt in his soft brown eyes. Iruka could always see through him. But he couldn’t talk about it, not yet. 

They drove in silence, Naruto couldn’t find the words to fill it. They pulled up to the house twenty silent minutes later. Naruto felt an immense feeling of sadness fill his heart as he got out and stared up at the small brick two story. He walked up the path and went inside. It smelled like home. 

“How long will you be staying?” Iruka asked, setting Naruto’s things down by the stairs.  
“Just for tonight. I have work tomorrow night and I have to start looking for another job.” 

“Another job? What about the internship?” He asked, baffled. Crap, he forgot to tell him about that. He scratched the back of his head and grinned in sheepish shame.  
“I quit,” He admitted. He’d never quit a job before, he felt rotten about it. But he couldn’t go back. Just thinking about it made his heart ache. He felt like curling into a ball and shutting out the world. 

“What? Why?” Iruka asked, crossing his arms. Naruto didn’t want to tell him the truth but he couldn’t lie to him either. 

“I had a falling out with my boss. It just isn’t going to work out.” It wasn’t so much as a lie as he was just omitting the entirety of the truth. 

“What kind of falling out?” Iruka walked into the kitchen and started making tea, his go to remedy for bad news. 

“We just don’t get along, I can’t continue to work with him, thats all.” He sat down at the bar and leaned on his palm. He traced the square tiles of the counter and stared off in space. The past few days repeated in his head like a movie on repeat. He couldn’t shake it. 

“Is that really a reason to quit? This is your future we’re talking about. Have you got anything lined up at least?” Naruto shook his head. Iruka stared at him. “Naruto,” was all he said.  
“You know, I think i’m going to go lie down. I’ll come down for dinner.” He slid off the stool and trudged upstairs. He wasn’t ready to get scolded yet. Iruka was like a father to him, he took him in when both his parents died when he was a baby. He raised him like his own son, and for that Naruto would forever be grateful. But sometimes it was hard disappointing him. He wanted to be a good son, make him proud. But right now he felt rotten. He needed to clear his head. 

He walked into his old room and looked around. It looked the same. It had been a couple years since he lived here, but nothing was changed.

He threw himself down on the bed and promptly fell asleep. He was exhausted. 

He dreamt of Him. 

Sasuke stood on the train station, which was filling with dark, thick black smoke. His eyes were black and when he cried, blood flowed down his cheeks staining them red. He held out his hand, and Naruto raced to grab it, but he was already on the train and it was moving too fast. He cried out Sasuke’s name, but Sasuke was already dissolving in smoke. 

The train disappeared and he fell through black clouds. He landed on the floor of the club he worked at. Gaara was dancing around him, dressed like a belly dancer. He handed Naruto a platter and he took it, not knowing what was going on. Gaara danced away and Kiba appeared before him. He had blood pouring out his eyes and mouth. He smiled and the blood flowed forcefully out. He threw his head back and said, “You’ve lost,” and laughed. He did a back hand spring and the scene dissolved and Naruto got to his feet. All around him the world was turning and changing. He clamped his hands over his ears and screamed for it to stop. 

Sasuke grabbed his hands and lowered them. He was crying, but this time it was real tears. “Forget,” He whispered softly. Naruto was crying now too. What was happening? 

When he woke up, he was covered in sweat. He looked around and it was dark out now. He checked his phone and realized he’d slept well past dinner. It was nearly midnight. He rubbed his eyes and checked his texts. Sakura texted him again. 

Sakura: Naruto, we should get drinks this week. 

He replied with a sure. He had no reason to turn her down. He threw his phone aside and laid back down. His dream was already slipping away from him, and every time he tried to remember it, it slipped further into the crevices of his mind. 

He couldn’t sleep. He laid there, staring at the ceiling. He thought coming home would make him feel better but he just felt worse. He couldn’t escape his feelings, he just had to endure them. His first heartbreak; he never knew it could feel like this. He wasn’t stupid, he knew how much people suffered from heartbreak but he’s never experienced before. He never met anyone who made him want to fall in love before. Until he met Sasuke, that is. But it wasn’t perfect. Sasuke wasn’t perfect and neither was he. Their relationship was short and filled with lies and imperfections. But was that so bad? But he didn’t turn his back on Sasuke, it was the other way around. He just didn’t stay around to hear it from him face to face. He really was a child. 

Maybe he gave up too quickly. Maybe he was also afraid of getting hurt. Sasuke wasn’t the only one afraid to lose someone. Naruto didn’t want to lose Sasuke, but somehow here he was. He couldn’t turn back, he could only face forward. 

He turned on his side and found his phone. He pulled open the text messages. He found himself scrolling through the texts between him and Sasuke. Short, to the point. There weren’t that many. He wasn’t romanticizing their relationship, it was a mess. Short and over too quickly. He deleted them. 

He played on his phone until he fell asleep at three am. 

In the morning, he came downstairs for breakfast. Iruka was sitting on the couch sipping coffee and reading the paper. 

“Morning,” He said, still groggy from lack of sleep. 

“Good morning,” Iruka muttered. “Actually, Naruto, can we talk for a moment?” He set the paper down and motioned for him to come sit. He sat down across from him and felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. Too early. “I’ve been thinking about yesterday. I’m not upset with you, and I may have reacted a little hastily. I just want you to be happy, cliche I know. But I want whats best for you, and i’m worried about you making mistakes that may effect you’re future.” 

“You don’t have to worry about me,” He said. 

“But I do, thats my job.” He sighed. “You know you can always move back home, if things are too hard for you.” 

“Thank you, but I’m okay.” 

Iruka met his eyes and Naruto felt like he was reading his mind. “You know, when I was your age, I fell in love. It was messy and stupid and it didn’t work out in the end. But I still remember how painful it felt when it ended. If thats whats going on, you can always talk to me about it. I want you to talk to me about it.” 

How did he know? Was Naruto so easy to read? “I’m not ready to talk about it,” He said. 

“Okay, well when you are, you can always come to me.” 

“Thanks.” He got up and made breakfast. He knew if he talked about it, he would just feel worse. 

After breakfast, he headed home. He said goodbye to Iruka at the train station and promised to come back more. He took the train home and lost himself in his phone for the duration of the ride. 

When he got home, he found his things sitting outside his door, his suitcase from the New York trip. He looked around but there wasn’t anyone around. Did He bring them by? Probably not. 

He brought it inside. 

That night he met Sakura at a local bar. He couldn’t stay long, he had work. She waved him off.  
“I just wanted to talk,” She said. She looked up at him with soft, kind eyes. She took a sip of her drink and cocked her head to the side. “You look terrible,” She said. 

He laughed. “I feel terrible.” 

“Sasuke hasn’t come back to work,” She said bluntly. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I thought you should know. I’ve never seen him this miserable. He won’t admit it, but he was falling for you. I think you should go talk to him.” 

“No,” He said. 

“Why not? You love him, right?” 

“No,” He said. “Maybe. I don’t know. It’s too soon to call it love.” 

“Have you ever been in love before?” 

“No,” He admitted. He finished his drink, already regretting agreeing to this. 

“Naruto, didn’t I tell you that he has a messed up past? You have to give him time.” 

“He broke up with me, Sakura.” 

“No, he was protecting himself.” She ordered another drink and the waitress brought it over swiftly. “He’s afraid to lose you, so he pushed you away. Stupid, I know. But I don’t think he’s ever really been in love before either. Maybe he has, I don’t know. But i’ve known him a long time, and i’ve never seen him like this. I tried to go by and see him but he wouldn’t let me in.” 

“I can’t go back, not after how I acted. He called me a child.” He was still bitter about it. 

“Well, you acted like a child,” She pointed out. He gasped. He knew she was right, but hearing her say it surprised him. “It’s true!” He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, not wanting to admit she was right. He did act like a child, he knew that. But he didn’t want Sasuke to call him one. “Just go to him. If you love him, you should go see him. At least get some closure.” 

“Maybe,” He said. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was too quick to give up. He was the one who left, he knew that. But he couldn’t bear the thought of Sasuke ending things so he had to leave first. He was trying to protect himself. They were the same, if he thought about it. They both acted hastily and out of fear. 

“Not maybe, you will go.” 

“Look, I have to work soon so I should probably go,” He paid the bill and grabbed his jacket. “Thanks for everything.” 

“You’re really going to leave?” 

“Goodnight, Sakura,” He kissed her on the cheek and left. He knew she was right. But he was hurt, he couldn’t go back yet. He needed time. 

He found himself taking a different route to work. He walked past the design firm and stopped. Sasuke’s car was parked outside. Why did he take this way? Was he hoping he would be here? Damn his feet, damn himself for being so weak. 

He didn’t know what drove him, but he found himself walking up the steps and opening the front door. The building was dark, but unlocked. He took the stairs to the third floor and there was one light on. At the end of the hall. He walked slow, his heart was pounding in his ears. His stomach flipped and he felt nervous for some reason. 

What am I doing? 

He stopped in the doorway. Sasuke was standing behind his desk, signing something. He looked up and their eyes met. Naruto didn’t know what to say. Sasuke stood up straight and they stared at each other for a long time. 

“Sorry,” Naruto finally broke the silence. “I don’t know why i’m here.” It was a lame thing to say, but it was the truth. Why was he here? Did he want to see Sasuke again? Seeing him though, it brought up a hurricane of emotions. But mostly he felt happy. Seeing him made him happy. 

“Hey,” Sasuke said. There was no anger, just surprise. “I’m not sure what to say,” He added. 

Naruto dropped his jacket he was holding on the chair by the door and his feet moved without thinking. He walked right up to Sasuke and kissed him. 

Their lips pressed together, their bodies moved closer. Surprise took them both, but neither broke the kiss. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s neck and he moved closer. Sasuke held him around the waist and he was the first to add tongue. His tongue pressed inside Naruto’s mouth, moving with such expertise. Naruto felt bold tonight. He moved Sasuke back against the desk and forced him to sit down. He climbed up on top of him and Sasuke leaned back, hands pressed against his waist. He stared up at Naruto, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Naruto wasn’t thinking anymore, he was letting his lust lead him. 

He took off his shirt and flung it aside. Sasuke slid his hands along his spine, sending chills through his body. He grabbed Sasuke by the jab and kissed him hard. He was straddling Sasuke, and he slowly raised himself up so he could be taller then Sasuke, so he could be the one in control. 

He tugged Sasuke’s shirt off, not caring if he ripped it. Sasuke’s bare chest was cold to touch, but he didn’t care. Their bare chests pressed together and the heat from their kiss made him feel warm. 

He got off the desk for a moment and slid off his jeans and underwear. He was fully erect, his entire body was on fire. He was breathing hard, his mind was blank. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke whispered. Naruto ignored him. He moved his hands over Sasuke’s bulge and unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped them. He pulled Sasuke’s cock free, it was erect. He slipped his mouth over the cock he loved so much. It felt weird having it in his mouth, but he liked the sounds Sasuke was making. He liked being the one to make him feel good. 

Once they were both properly turned on, he grabbed a condom from his back pocket he kept for some reason and put it on Sasuke. He spit on the tip to lube it up, and climbed up on the desk again so he was straddling Sasuke. He spread his legs and slowly lowered himself onto the tip of his cock. The pressure around his asshole was enough to make him softly moan. Sasuke grabbed him around the waist and tossed his head back. Naruto closed his eyes and moved his hips, sinking farther onto his cock. He took it all in. He started moving his hips and the feeling of having Sasuke deep inside him was one he would never grow tired of. 

He wrapped his hand around his own cock, which was wet with pre cum and stroked it. He tossed his head back and let out moans of pleasure as he moved faster and harder. Sasuke moved too, like he couldn’t stop. He held onto Naruto hard and then in a moment he was kissing Naruto’s chest, sucking his nipples, holding him tight. 

“Sasuke,” Naruto breathed. He rolled his head around and breathed into Sasuke’s ear. “Sasuke,” He said again. Sasuke thrust harder inside him and he unintentionally tightened, his asshole was twitching. He felt on the brink of cumming, he knew he was going to soon. But he didn’t want this to end yet. He knew when it ended nothing would change. He didn’t want to leave. 

“Don’t leave,” Sasuke murmured against his chest. 

“Sasuke!” Naruto called out his name, his whole body was drown in a sea of lust. He couldn’t hold back his moans now. He rocked harder and Sasuke thrust forcefully, and they climaxed together in a blaze of fiery passion he'd never felt before. 

Don’t leave. Those words echoed in his mind.


	8. Falling

Naruto stood in the light of the third floor bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror. What just happened? He fucked Sasuke. Thats what happened. 

He splashed his face with water. What was he doing? That past hour felt like a dream. Was that really him that just did that? He felt like it was another person, someone much bolder and more wild. What was he thinking?! 

He felt so embarrassed. How could he face Sasuke now? 

He dried his face and gathered up his courage. He walked back into Sasuke’s office. 

Sasuke was getting dressed, he was in the middle of buttoning his shirt. He looked up and his face was unreadable. Fuck. He felt so nervous now. Where was the bold Naruto? Where did he go? 

“I’m gonna go,” Naruto said. He felt so lame. 

“You should stay,” Sasuke said bluntly. Naruto blinked, and couldn’t help but blush.  
“You want me to stay?” He asked Sasuke. 

“Yes,” Sasuke said. Naruto blushed harder and he couldn’t help but smile. He tried to hide it, but he felt so happy. “I want you to come home with me.” He finished buttoning his shirt and walked up to Naruto. He kissed him softly, tilting his head back. It was enough to make his knees weak. Sasuke tugged at his bottom lip and leaned back. Naruto leaned in without thinking and kissed him back. Sasuke broke the kiss after a moment. “I want to fuck you senseless, all night,” He whispered seductively. Naruto felt his stomach fill with butterflies and he felt hot and weak all over. 

“Okay,” was all he could get out. Sasuke smiled triumphantly. “Good,” He said. “You can have a seat, I just have to finish this.” Naruto did as he ordered and sat down. He was secretly glad because he was hard again. 

“We do have some things to discuss, but we should talk about it tomorrow,” Sasuke said as he worked. 

“Yes, I agree.” He felt nervous again. He jostled his leg up and down waiting for Sasuke to finish. He felt like he was in the principals office getting in trouble. He watched Sasuke as he worked, he didn't seem to notice. After a few minutes Sasuke slammed his notebook closed and turned off his computer.

“Okay, i’m done,” Sasuke finished. He got up, grabbed his coat from the coat rack and Naruto followed him out. He couldn’t stop, he couldn’t give up after all. He was under a spell, one he was glad to be under. 

He forgot to call work, so he sent a text to Gaara saying he was sick and followed Sasuke out to his car. They drove in silence, and that was okay. He didn’t need to say anything, he was happy just being by his side. 

Crap. Was Sakura right? Was he in love with Sasuke? Is this what love feels like? He felt like he was walking along the edge of a cliff, and he was ready to fall. 

“Can I say something?” Sasuke broke the silence. Naruto nodded. “I’m glad you came to see me.” Naruto felt his heart flutter and he smiled, pleased. 

They pulled into Sasuke’s apartment building as it started to rain. The sound of rain from outside and the sound of his heartbeat in his ears was all he could hear. And all he could see was Sasuke taking his hand and leading him upstairs. They took the elevator to his floor and while they rode it, Sasuke stood behind him and kissed his neck. Their hands interlocked, Naruto’s head against his shoulder, their bodies pressed against each other. The feeling of Sasuke so close. He missed this. 

The doors opened and they walked into the dark apartment. Sasuke turned Naruto around and his eyes were bright, his breathing was shallow. “Naruto,” He murmured huskily, “I don’t regret meeting you. I don’t regret us.” His words were soft, his look tender. Naruto embraced him, caught in the allure of his words. Did he know how much those words meant to him? Did he realize how enraptured he truly was by him? 

Sasuke kissed his cheek, his jaw, his neck. Naruto tossed his head back, his mind going blank. His member stirred with every touch. Sasuke pushed him back against the couch and lifted him up so he sat on the back of the white, suede sofa. He tugged Sasuke’s shirt off for the second time that night. He ran his hands down Sasuke’s bare chest, fingers dancing across his stomach. He leaned forward and kissed his tender, soft flesh. He closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet aroma of his body wash. Sasuke’s hands curled into Naruto’s hair and he felt a sense of comfort, being with Sasuke brought him comfort. Why did have to be such a child? Why couldn’t he be the person Sasuke deserved? 

He leaned back and looked up at Sasuke, who was staring down at him with a blank expression. 

“I shouldn’t have left,” He admitted. He hated admitting to his mistakes, but he wasn’t so proud that he couldn’t. “I’m sorry.” 

“You should be, idiot,” He said with a smile. “I shouldn’t have snapped though. My past is not something I like to talk about. Not many people know about all of me, and I don’t let people in very often. I’m not trying to shut you out, but I need more time.” 

“There’s things I want to tell you too but I understand how hard it is to open up to another person. We’ve both been making the same mistakes. It’s just, I don’t want to lose you, I know that now. I know this sounds crazy, but I think I might be in love with you,” Naruto said it with a laugh, too embarrassed to let the words be. The first time he’s ever told another person this. He felt so nervous, he felt like he might throw up. 

Sasuke bent down and kissed him softly, their lips barely touching. And yet it stirred something deep inside him that no kiss ever has. Sasuke curled his hands around his face, keeping him still. His heart beat loud in his ears, he felt hot and desperate. Sasuke smelled like cinnamon and soap. The aroma filled his senses. He wanted more. 

“Thank you,” Sasuke muttered against his lips. Naruto opened his eyes and there he was. So close, yet so very far away. He was greedy. He needed more. 

Sasuke kissed him again and they fell into a lustful embrace. 

They stumbled into the bedroom, half drunk on each other and the moon. Naruto was undressed and on all fours as Sasuke deliriously entered him. They were laughing and moaning and so very glad to be in each others arm again. Naruto came three different times that night. By morning, his back was aching and he could barely move. But when he looked to his right and saw Sasuke fast asleep, looking so very young and vulnerable, he didn’t mind the pain so much.

 

He pulled his legs up to his chest and sipped his tea as the news played in the background. He scrolled through his social media apps and listened to the sound of Sasuke making lunch. Last night seemed like a dream. He was embarrassed when he remembered how he confessed to Sasuke and didn’t receive a confession back. But he knew Sasuke needed time. He would confess eventually. For now he was happy just being with him again. When he thought about how childish he’d really been, he felt so embarrassed he could die. But Sasuke didn’t bring it up, it was like it never happened. 

“I have to go into the office for a meeting this afternoon, but the rest of the day i’m free. You can stay here if you like.” Sasuke brought two plates in and handed one to Naruto. He sat down next to him and chewed slowly. 

“You don’t mind me staying here?” He liked the idea, sure. It was much better than his own crappy apartment. But he didn’t want to overstep. 

“Sure,” He said casually. “I like you being here. You’re like my very own sex slave,” He said with a twisted grin. 

“Hey, too far!” Naruto bit into his sandwich and grumbled to himself. 

“I’ll let you be top tonight,” Sasuke offered. 

Naruto perked up like a puppy given a bone. 

Right then, the doorbell rang. Sasuke got up and Naruto followed for some reason. He really did feel like Sasuke’s puppy. 

When Sasuke opened it, a man with long black hair and dark eyes stood in the doorway with a very dark expression on his face. Sasuke instantly froze and tensed up, his face was a mask of surprise and anger. 

“Little brother,” The man said in a deep voice. “You haven’t been answering my calls,” He said.  
Sasuke didn’t hesitate. He swung a punch right in the mans face. The man grabbed his fist and twisted his arm behind his back, making him call out in pain. 

“Hey!” Naruto called out. Before he could think, he was punching the man in the face. He let go of Sasuke and Sasuke lunged at him. Naruto grabbed his arm and pulled him back. This wasn’t good. His knuckles stung from where he connected with the guys’ nose. He was bleeding slightly. The man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand but his expression never changed. 

“I didn’t come here to fight,” He said. “I came here to tell you to be careful.” He turned on his heel and walked back into the elevator and the doors closed. Sasuke was breathing heavily. He looked like an animal. Naruto's never seen him like this. He let go of him and Sasuke stalked into his private office and slammed the door behind him.  
Naruto stood there, confused. What just happened? Who was that man? Why did Sasuke hate him so much? He looked at the closed door and sighed. 

“Sasuke?” He called. Silence. He walked up to the door and sat down on his knees. “Are you okay?” He asked. 

“I’m fine,” He snarled. He was on the other side of the door, but Naruto couldn’t see him. His voice sounded so close. “I’ll be out soon,” He added in a gentler tone. Naruto stood up and stared at the doorknob, wishing it would turn. It remained motionless. He sighed again and sat down on the couch and waited. A few minutes later, Sasuke walked out. 

“Sasuke,” He turned around on the couch and followed him with his eyes as he sat down beside him. “Um,” He paused. What should he say? He didn’t want to pry, but he was extremely curious. 

“How’s your hand?” Sasuke asked. Naruto stared at him, confused until he remembered his sore knuckles. Sasuke grabbed his hand and inspected the broken skin. “You shouldn’t be so reckless, idiot.” 

“Well you were pretty reckless too. And I actually landed a punch,” He pointed out. Sasuke held his hand a long moment before letting him go. “Who was that?” He asked softly. He felt like he was walking on eggshells, but he had the right to at least ask. 

“He’s my brother. His name is Itachi.” He was surprised Sasuke fessed up so quickly. “He’s older then me and he’s the reason my parents are dead.” He slumped down further into the couch and leaned his head back, eyes closed. 

“Wait, what?!” He shot up and stared in shock at Sasuke, who seemed so nonchalant about the whole thing. 

“It was years ago, but yeah. So I hate him.” 

“What happened?” 

Sasuke sighed, sounding annoyed now. He could feel himself overstepping but the words just spilled out. 

“He’s involved in some serious gang shit, because of it my parents were killed.” His voice was flat, he looked straight ahead. Naruto knew he was holding back, trying to fake being okay. If he acted like it didn’t bother him anymore then eventually it wouldn’t, or so he told himself. 

“So why did he come here? What did he mean when he said he was warning you? Warning you about what?” Was Sasuke in danger as well? The mere idea made his blood boil with anger. 

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Naruto watched him, wondering if he was lying. He couldn’t tell. Sasuke was hard to read. “I should go. You’ll stay, right?” He looked over at him, but his eyes were dead. 

“Yeah,” Naruto said. Sasuke smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. His brother coming by really shook him up. “Don’t forget you promised to bottom tonight,” Naruto reminded him. Sasuke chuckled and slowly rose to his feet. He gave a shrug and headed out. Why did he shrug? Naruto was holding him to his promise. He was totally gonna fuck Sasuke senseless tonight. 

He looked around him at the empty apartment that was his for the next few hours. He felt weird staying in someone else's home while they were gone. He didn’t know what to do with himself. He had to shower but that would only take a few minutes. He flipped through the channels on the tv but couldn’t find anything worth watching. 

He sighed and jumped to his feet. 

He wandered around the apartment. Three bedrooms, two were unused of course. He looked in on them, they were well kept and unused but nicely furnished. What did he need three bedrooms for? Who could he possibly invite over that he would use them? 

He looked through the drawers of the kitchen and then wandered into the office. It was beautifully furnished, clean and simple. He looked through the books lining the built in bookshelves and then sat down at Sasuke's desk. The desktop dinged as he moved the mouse. He stared at the screen and it stared back at him, waiting for a password. 

He cursed his luck and spun around in the chair. Bored. So bored. 

He walked into the bedroom and stared at the bed. All the lewd things they’ve done came to him in a rush. He walked up to the bedside table and looked around as if Sasuke might walk in. He took a deep breath and opened it. 

Dildos a plenty glared back at him. 

He slammed the drawer shut. His heart beat ferociously in his chest and he had to take a moment. 

He opened the drawer again and pulled one out. He wasn’t going to use it, that would be weird. But he was curious. Did he actually use these? Or did he just use them on others? He had a feeling the answer was both. 

He put it away and rolled onto his back. Staring at the ceiling, he wondered how he could waste time before Sasuke got back. 

He texted Kiba to make sure he was doing okay and took a nap. 

He woke up to the feeling of sinking. He opened his eyes, groggy from sleep and met the slim hips of the one and only Sasuke. He sat up fast and Sasuke glanced over at him, one brow raised. He had a book in his hands and he sat looking so casual but this wasn’t casual. 

“You’re awake,” He stated. 

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep for so long,” He said, glancing at his phone. 

“It’s fine. I’m glad you’re awake. We should talk about some things.” He set his book aside and folded his hands in his lap like a goddamn priest. He looked so serious, it made Naruto nervous. He felt like he was back in grade school and forced to face the principal after getting into trouble. 

“Is it about that thing I told you last night?” He felt his cheeks burst red with color, even thinking about it made him red faced. What was he thinking? 

“Sort of. I’m not trying to define what we have, but we should discuss it. I should tell you, I don’t do relationships. It’s hard for me to open up and I tend to force people out. But with you it’s different. So i’m willing to try this whole boyfriend thing, if thats something you want. However, we need to communicate if we’re going to have any sort of relationship. This is mostly a problem I have, but I don’t want a repeat of New York. Another thing, i’m offering you your job back at my company. I think it was hasty of you to quit. But I won’t allow whats between us to effect work again.” 

“Wow, okay, a lot to take in there. Um, yes a relationship is what I want. And I agree, we should talk more and be more open. So, I want you to tell me more about your past.” There was more but he could only focus on one thing at a time. 

Sasuke’s jaw clenched and he cleared his throat, tense now. “Well, I already told you about my brother, which is something i’ve never shared with anyone else. My parents were killed when I was young, and I was raised by the state. The reason I don’t like people asking me about my past is because it’s something that haunts me everyday. Sometimes I get so angry, I feel like hurting someone. I want so much to hurt my brother the way he’s hurt me. But there’s nothing I can do right now.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Nothing, it’s nothing.” 

“You know, my parents died when I was a baby, I don’t even know what they look like. I was raised by a friend of my fathers student. He was a teacher I think.” 

“I didn’t know your parents died, i’m sorry.” 

“You don’t have to be sorry, I never even knew them. I can’t imagine having a family and losing them like you have. But Sasuke, I meant what I said last night. And I want you to tell me things, but only if you want to,” He felt so bold in that moment, before he could hold back he was rising up on his knees and kissing Sasuke. For him to do that was rare. He was inexperienced in so many things and it made him feel embarrassed and shy, but at certain times he felt so confident around Sasuke he couldn’t stop himself. Sasuke seemed to like when he was bold too, he responded by kissing him back. His hand found the small of Naruto’s back and he pressed gently, clutching at him. 

“You’re getting better,” Sasuke teased. Naruto sat back on his heels and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. 

“Shut up,” He said. Sasuke picked up his book and flipped to the page he had marked. Naruto laid down beside him and rested his head on his shoulder as he texted back Kiba. They stayed like that for a long time.

An hour or so later...

“Naruto, ow!” Sasuke snapped his head back to glare at him. Naruto stuck his tongue out and cocked his head, trying to act cute. Sasuke sighed and turned back around. Naruto looked down at the scene before him, wondering how exactly this became his life. 

Sasuke was on all fours, ass in the air. Naruto’s cock was pressing inside him, and he slowly thrust deeper. He wasn’t used to topping, this was his first time. He gripped Sasuke’s waist and thrust even further in. It felt so good, Sasuke was so warm and tight around him. He let out a moan and forgot to keep thrusting. Just being inside him felt so good. 

“You’re going too slow, move faster,” Sasuke hissed. “You know what, pull out,” Sasuke ordered. Naruto did so, confused. Sasuke turned around, grabbed him by the wrists and pushed him down onto the bed. He stuck two fingers inside Naruto’s asshole and he gasped, arched his back in response and then let out a soft moan. Sasuke moved with such expertise, Naruto couldn’t hold back and he came almost instantly. “That was quick, but I still haven’t cum yet,” He purred. He felt the tip of Sasuke’s erect dick press against his anus and slowly slip inside, then all of a sudden he was pounding hard, deeper and deeper with each mighty thrust. Naruto was still hard, but he couldn’t touch himself because Sasuke had his wrists pinned down. 

He came again. 

“You promised,” Naruto quipped, an hour later as they laid in bed, finished showering. He felt bitter. 

“And I let you top, remember? But I really think you’re a bottom,” Sasuke said. 

“Fuck off,” He said. He turned on his side, away from Sasuke and stared at the wall. He felt hands move around him and Sasuke kissed his cheek, curling around him. He was bottom and now also the little spoon? When did it end?!

“Your cock is my favorite of all my lovers, you know.” His voice was like velvet, his breath warm against his skin. His heart fluttered and his chest tightened. He rolled onto his back and Sasuke leaned over him with a smirk on his handsome face. “And your ass is mine, just for me,” He said seductively. He climbed on top of him, straddling him. He kissed him gently and his hands found Naruto’s cock. He just showered too, but he was hard against Sasuke’s hands. 

“Sasuke,” He whimpered. 

“Do I make you feel good?” He asked, his voice gentle. 

“Mhmm,” Was all he could get out. He came in Sasuke hands and fell back against the bed, exhausted. “Sorry,” He muttered. 

“Don’t be,” Sasuke licked his fingers and kissed him hard. “You taste good,” He said. He got up then and washed his hands. He climbed back in bed and they fell asleep. When he woke up, he was in Sasuke’s arms. 

When he woke up, he rolled out of bed and took a piss. He felt hands wrap around his waist and he lurched forward. “Sasuke, don’t!” He said. 

“You’re coming with me to work, right? I put in your re-hirement yesterday so it’s a go.” 

“Yeah, I guess. I have to go home and change and stuff though,” He said, washing his hands now. Sasuke leaned up against the doorjamb, his boxers were low on his hips and he cocked his head to the side, hand around the back of his neck. He looked at Naruto under dark lashes, his hair falling in his eyes. In this light, he looked like a fallen angel, beautiful and deadly. 

“Fine,” He dropped his hand and walked out. Naruto followed him out and got dressed. He really did need to go home. “You know, you can just stay here if you want.” Naruto felt his heart drop to his toes at those words. Did he hear correctly? No way.  
“What?” He felt like he was whispering. Sasuke turned back to him and shrugged. 

“Just move in,” He said. “Your apartments trash anyway,” He added. “Or don’t, I don’t care.” He pulled out a maroon button up shirt from his closet and slipped it on. 

“You want me to move in with you?” He clarified. Sasuke tossed his head back and looked at him with dead eyes. 

“Idiot, I wouldn’t offer unless I meant it. I’ll have someone by your place today, you won’t have to do a thing.” He finished buttoning his shirt and he grabbed a slim black tie and slipped it around his neck with slim, quick fingers. 

“O-oh okay, s-sure!” He sat down on the bed and he couldn’t seem to fight back the smile plastered on his face. He felt like a child on Christmas, he was so happy.


	9. To be Destroyed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part I of Neji's story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m taking a brief hiatus off Naruto and Sasuke to focus on Neji and Shikamaru! I might do a break in between every once in a while so things don’t get too dull— also I really think Neji needs a good solid love story... hope you all enjoy!

They used his office for purposes other then work as often as they could. Neither of them liked to have the other one over, each for different reasons. So they found quiet, dark places to do their deed and it worked. 

Neji, bent over the desk, pushed his mane of dark hair off his shoulder and tied it up. The smell of smoke clouded the air around him. He looked back and Shikamaru had the cigarette between his lips, eyes closed. His hands were cupped around Neji’s hips, his cock deep inside his anus. 

“Oi,” Neji quipped to get his attention. He opened his eyes and gave him a lazy grin. He drew a long breathe and let it out, pulling the cig free from his lips with a lazy motion. It dangled between his fingers as he bent over and blew smoke in Neji’s mouth. Neji hated the taste of smoke, but he had to admit he liked it when Shikamaru smoked. Especially during sex. 

“Your ass is so tight,” Shikamaru purred. He leaned back and started thrusting again. He was always doing that, losing focus and getting distracted. Who knows what he was thinking about, certainly not work. Neji hated when he did that, he liked his attention to be on him when he was eight inches deep in his ass. 

“Shut up,” He said. He dropped his head and focused on the feeling of Shikamaru, thrusting deeper and deeper inside him. He rubbed his cock and felt the familiar warmth spread around his stomach area, the heat building with each movement. He was breathing hard, almost to the point of whimpering. “I’m gonna cum!” He gasped. Shikamaru blew out a puff of smoke and started going faster. Neji grabbed onto the desk, keeping still as he took it in. 

He came in a moment, the smell of smoke clouding his thoughts. He let out a breathe and Shika pulled out and handed him a towel. 

He cleaned up and sat down on the edge of the desk, fixing his shirt. Shikamaru sat down in his chair and leaned his head back, cig between his lips. Neji watched him with lowered eyelids, his mind a mess. 

“I can’t enjoy my cancer stick with you staring at me.” Neji blinked. He didn’t get embarrassed easily, so he let it slide. “Are you coming by tonight?” Shikamaru asked after a beat. 

“I don’t know yet, I have a lot of work to do.” 

Shikamaru let out a long drag and his eyes slowly opened and he looked at him. He gave a shrug and jumped to his feet. “Well, let me know if you do.” He left the office, and Neji sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. 

He walked back downstairs and sat at his desk to work. He couldn’t shake the uneasy sense he felt, like he was stumbling into something he wasn’t supposed to. 

When they first started seeing each other, it was mostly just for sex. Even now, thats all it seemed to be about. He was fine with that, at first. But now he was feeling restless. He liked Shika, he was sexy as hell and wasn’t necessarily clingy. He’s dated all types before, he never really had a preference. But he hated clingy. But it almost seemed like Shika was too not clingy. He never said what he felt and he never seemed that interested. Neji didn’t mind so much, but they’ve been seeing each other for three months now. He was starting to feel like they were going nowhere. He supposed he should just say something, but he didn’t want to ruin what they did have. The sex was pretty great. 

“Neji, do you mind looking at this?” Tenten leaned over his desk and handed him a report she’d drawn up. “I think the dimensions are a little off for the size of the room. What do you think?” He skimmed through it and handed it back to her. 

“Just size them up a few inches to fill the space.” 

“Thanks,” She said. She didn’t immediately return to her desk, though. “So, drinks tonight?” 

“I can’t,” He said. “I have plans.” Sort of. 

“Ooh, are you seeing someone?” She could see right through him. 

“No, now get back to work.” 

“Hmf, you’re no fun,” She whined. He returned to his work. The rest of the day went by slowly, he couldn’t focus. When five rolled around, he stretched out and gathered his things to leave. He noticed the interns left first, Shino was still working and Tenten was already out the door. He waited at the elevator. When the doors opened, Shikamaru stood there staring at his phone. He stepped in and they stood beside each other, only inches apart. 

“Good work today,” Shikamaru said. Neji looked over at him but Shikamaru was too focused on his phone to notice. He didn’t know why, but he was starting to get annoyed. The elevator doors dinged and he walked out first, not even saying goodbye. 

A hand grabbed his wrist and he stopped, surprised. Shikamaru let go almost immediately. 

“Sorry, you just ran out so fast. So, do you wanna come by?” Neji wanted him to sound a little more earnest. He felt like he was being used right now, all he was was a warm body at night. Sure, it was fun. But now he was starting to feel stuck. 

“Sure,” He said, giving in. He couldn’t help it. He liked the sex too much. 

A brief smile flashed across his usually expressionless face and Neji’s heart sped up a bit. He liked seeing him smile, especially when he was the reason. It felt good to break through that cold, ice like exterior of his. He wanted to be someone Shikamaru needed. 

Shikamaru grabbed his hand and they walked, hand in hand, to his car. Neji wasn’t used to this kind of behavior from him, so it felt surprisingly nice. Did Shika sense something earlier? Was he just doing this to please him? He suddenly started to overthink it and grew restless yet again. 

“Some college buddies of mine or coming into town this weekend so I won’t be able to hang out much.” Neji stood at the passenger door and felt a sense of disappointment flood through him.

“Oh, okay.” Was he upset because he couldn’t see him? Or that he didn’t want to introduce him. 

“Is that okay with you?” Neji got in and buckled up, pondering the question. 

“I have no right to tell you what to do,” He said, escaping the question. He didn’t want to do this yet, not now. 

“Thats not what I asked. You seem upset, so I want to know if its okay with you.” 

“I’m not your boyfriend, you don’t have to ask permission,” He snapped. He usually kept a cool head but when it came to Shikamaru, sometimes he let his emotions run wild. He bit the inside of his cheek and stared out the window. Shikamaru stared at him for a long moment then put the car in reverse. The radio filled the silence, thankfully. Why were they fighting? Why did he feel like he was the cause? He hated feeling like this. 

They pulled into Shika’s apartment complex and Neji suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He wanted to go home. But instead he followed him inside, ignoring the swell of emotions running rampant in his head. 

“You want a drink?” Shika called from the kitchen. Neji slid out of his coat and laid it on the couch.  
“Yes, please,” He said. Shika came out a moment later with two beers. Neji hated beer but it was all Shikamaru drank really, so he suffered through the terrible taste. He preferred more refined alcohol like wine. 

“How’s your current project coming along?” Shikamaru asked, sitting down beside him. 

“I don’t want to talk about work,” He replied immediately. Shikamaru set down his beer and leaned over to kiss him. No work talk meant all they could do was have sex. Thats what they were, sex friends. Nothing more. This is what they greed upon in the beginning, so why was he questioning it now? 

Shikamaru pushed him back against the couch and slid his hand up underneath his shirt. His touch was cold from the can and send shivers throughout his body. Neji let himself get lost in his kiss, in his touch. He wanted this, he did. But he was making things complicated, he knew it. So for now he would ignore his budding feelings and just enjoy it. 

He slipped out of his shirt and Shikamaru started teasing his nipples, sucking on them and bitting them gently. Neji arched his back in response, he loved nipple play. He closed his eyes and let out a soft moan, Shikamaru was too good at this. 

“I want to hear your voice more,” Shika whispered against his chest. He looked up and his eyes said “ravage me.” 

Neji grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him, hard. Shikamaru broke away after a few moments and started kissing and sucking his neck. He loved when he did that. He held his head and let his fingers run through his long dark hair. He felt his cock stir against Shikamaru’s thigh as he rubbed against him. 

He felt something vibrate against his ass. He pulled his phone out and checked the screen. 

IU: I’m back in town, I missed you.

He stared at the message. He hadn’t heard from him in months and now he’s suddenly texting? Shikamaru stopped, sensing Neji’s distraction. He leaned back on his knees and watched him silently. Neji didn’t know what to do. Should he respond? 

“Whats wrong?” Shika finally asked. Neji looked at him, remembering he was there. 

“Sorry, um, I should go.” He grabbed his jacket and walked to the door. He was more than just distracted. He turned around and kissed him quick. “I’ll text you.” He slipped out and headed for the train station. 

He continued to stare at the message. Why now? 

He was all confused now, so he sent his reply. Lets meet downtown. Meet me at Tsuna’s at eight. He felt sick to his stomach. Why did he send that? Why is he meeting him? He knew what was going to happen. Every time he texted to meet, Neji slept with him. He was his first love, and the one person he could never say no to. But he also needed to see him, so he could make sure he’s okay. He missed him, after all. 

He went straight there, even though it was only six. He couldn’t go home, he was too nervous. Six months since he’d seen him. The last time they met, they were saying goodbye. It took him a long to move on after that. Then he started seeing Shikamaru and forgot about him. Was this all Shika was to him? Was he just a means to escape his lingering feelings for his ex? He never actually pieced that together before. Now he felt downright retched. 

He went to the bar and waited, he needed to clear his mind before seeing him again. 

He sat at the bar and ordered his favorite red wine and waited. 

Eight o’clock rolled around and he perked up to watch the door. 

When he strolled in, he took his breathe away. 

He kept his cool as he approached him. 

“Is this seat taken?” He looked up and there he was. Itachi Uchiha, the one and only. “Hey,” He said with a smile. But his smile was fake. Neji could see right through him. 

“It’s been a while,” He said. They embraced like no time had passed at all. Itachi ordered his usual whiskey on the rocks and they sat there in awkward silence as the bartender poured them drinks. Neji was glad he’d had a drink before hand, it helped calm his nerves. “So,” He said when the bartender had left. “Why are you back?” 

“Would you believe me if I said I missed you?” 

“No.” 

Itachi laughed and a strand of long, silky black hair fell out from behind his ear. He tucked it back and Neji reached out and grabbed his hand. He didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to touch him. He was really here. After all this time. Itachi looked at him with deeply saddened eyes. 

“Where were you?” He asked softly. Itachi sighed and Neji dropped his hand. He took a sip of wine and waited. 

“I can’t tell you.” 

“How long are you back for.” 

“I don’t know.” 

Neji took another sip of wine and this time he was the one who sighed. This was why they could never work. Itachi was too closed off. He liked to take the burden of everyones problems onto his own shoulders. He was a walking tragedy. 

“I wanted to see you, though. I wanted to apologize. For everything, really. I didn’t want to leave you, but I had no choice. Believe me, I wish I could tell you everything but I just can’t.” 

“I know. It’s always been like this, I’ve learned to just accept it.” 

“You shouldn’t have to just accept it,” He murmured. “But it’s too dangerous for you. You know that.” 

“Are you talking about that time? I told you, that wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known-“

“I should have known,” He snapped. His voice seemed to send a hush throughout the bar. Peoples eyes gathered onto them. He looked around and then he let his shoulders drop and he rested his head on his hand. He looked so young and so sad sitting there. Neji wished he could help him, take away his pain. But he tried, he tried so many times but he couldn’t do it. “I’m sorry.” 

He sat there, not knowing what to say. 

“I shouldn’t have come here,” Itachi said. “I wanted you to move on. But I guess i’m too weak for you.” Neji moved without thinking. He grabbed Itachi’s face and turned his head and kissed him. Murmurs around them but he ignored them. Itachi was frozen beneath his touch. But then he seemed to relax and he fell deeper into the kiss. Neji ran his hands up into his hair and Itachi’s hands moved around his back, pulling him closer. He was between his thighs now, arms around his neck, their tongues entwined passionately. 

Itachi leaned back, and smiled softly. He didn’t have to say anything, Neji would have followed him to the ends of the earth. 

He grabbed his hand and led him outside. Neji followed dutifully. He couldn’t help but smile. itachi’s hand was warm and his grip was firm. He owned Neji. 

He brought him to his hotel room and kept the lights off. They didn’t even make it past the foyer. Their hands were bound together, their lips locked. Neji found himself pushing him down, climbing on top of him and running his hands through his long, dark hair. He yanked down, pulling Itachi’s head back. He kissed his neck, leaving marks like a trail of his lust. 

He crawled backwards and bent down in front of his crotch. He unbuttoned his pants and pulled his erect cock free. He slipped his mouth over the tip and sucked the familiar cock. Itachi groaned with pleasure and covered his flushed face with his hand. 

He felt his own cock stir, he was so turned on right now. He sucked and sucked and Itachi lurched forward, grabbing Neji’s head and keeping him in place as he came. Neji’s mouth filled with hot juice and he swallowed. It tasted terrible, but he didn’t mind. 

“You missed me that much? You’re like a dog in heat,” Itachi murmured, smiling down at him. Neji pulled off his shirt and smirked, climbing on top of him again. He kissed him sloppily. The wine was getting to him now. 

“Only for you,” He purred. 

They made love right then and there. He came three more times before sunlight. When he fell asleep on Itachi’s chest, worn out and aching, he didn’t remember much the next day. But he did wake up in an unfamiliar bed. Itachi must have carried him to bed. But the other side was empty. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and yawned. 

He looked around, groggy and confused. He checked his phone to see what time it was and noticed a note with Itachi’s handwriting. 

“I had to go, but this isn’t goodbye.” 

He crumpled the note in his hand and threw it across the room. This always happened. No matter how hard he tried, he could never tie him down. He understood why, but it hurt him. He wanted to be the one to bring him back to earth. It was a terrible feeling. 

He took a shower, got dressed and left. He didn’t leave a note.


	10. A dangerous addiction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part II of Neji's story

He couldn’t stop thinking about Itachi all day. Work went by slowly, and he couldn’t get anything done. He was avoiding Shikamaru, they both knew it. But how could he tell him what he did? He felt guilty, but he also felt happy. Seeing Itachi made him remember how much he loved him. But he was also confused. 

“Neji, do you wanna come out with us tonight?” Tenten asked, leaning over her desk earnestly so she could talk to him. 

“I can’t,” He muttered, trying to finish his email he was typing. 

“Come on, Naruto said he was gonna bring Sasuke. We never go out drinking with the boss. I wanna see what he’s like drunk,” She said. Neji leaned back in his chair and planted his hands behind his head. Drinks would help take things off his mind. But really he just wanted to see Itachi again. 

“Maybe, i’ll let you know.” 

“Are you okay, you seem off today.” Neji rubbed his face, he was tired. He didn’t get much sleep last night. He wanted to tell her what was on his mind so he could at least tell someone. But he couldn’t tell her, she would never understand. If anything, she would take Shikamaru’s side, anyone would. 

“I’m fine,” He lied. 

“Well, when you wanna tell me, I’m here.” She went back to her desk and got to work. He pushed himself away from his own desk and went to the break room. He needed coffee. 

Naruto was in the kitchen washing dishes. He liked the kid, but he was also wary of him. He knew his relationship with Shikamaru and that worried him. Naruto was young, who knows when he might slip up and say something. 

“Hey,” He said, grabbing a mug from the cupboard. 

“Oh, Hi Neji,” He said. He seemed happy today. “Hey, you’re pretty wise I think, can I ask you something?” 

He worked on pouring his coffee and nodded his head. 

“So, I have this friend who has this brother who just came to town. Um, and it’s kinda setting my friend on edge but he won’t talk about it. I want him to open up to me, but I don’t want to push him away. Normally I would get mad that he’s hiding things from me, but with this friend I know that won’t work. I don’t know, what should I do?” 

He knew who he was talking about. Sasuke is Itachi’s brother after all, and it was no secret at this point that Naruto and Sasuke are dating. No one knew of his and Itachi’s relationship so no one knew how involved he was in this, and he didn’t plan on telling anyone. 

“I think you should respect your friends privacy and wait for them to open up to you. You have to prove first your someone they can open up to. It takes time to build a trusting relationship so don’t rush anything.” He knew it wasn’t the answer Naruto wanted to hear. 

“Oh, okay. Thanks.” Neji grabbed his cup of coffee and headed back to his desk. 

“Hey, Neji,” Sakura called as she walked over to him. Her hair had grown out some and was now to her collarbones. A strikingly pretty girl, and a good friend. But whenever he looked at her he saw her face as she drunkly went down on him. Not good images to have at work. “Shikamaru requested you to his office.” She handed him the note. 

“Okay, thanks,” He said. She smiled and went back to her desk. He felt disassociated today. He needed a nap, probably. 

He headed upstairs, much to his annoyance. He didn’t want to do this today. He didn’t know how to face Shikamaru after last night. He kept seeing Itachi’s face as he came, contorted in pleasure and lust. Neji forced the image out of his head. He didn’t want to walk in his office flushed. 

The door was open so he walked right in. Shikamaru was standing by the window looking out. 

“You called?” He announced from the doorway. Shikamaru turned around and plucked the cigarette that was between his lips and tossed it in the ash tray by his computer. 

“Shut the door,” He said. Neji did as he was told. He knew what was coming. “You can sit,” He said. 

“I’d prefer to stand,” He said. Shikamaru wrapped his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. The smell of smoke lingered in the air. 

“What happened yesterday?” He asked. Neji shifted, growing more and more uncomfortable with each second he stood there. 

“Look, if this isn’t work related, I’m gonna go. If you want to talk you can all me tonight-“ Shika slammed his hand on the desk, making him jump. He never showed any intense emotion, not ever. 

“I can’t work, okay? All I can think about is you. It’s driving me crazy. God, this is such a drag.” He rubbed his temples and then reached for another cigarette. He lit it and took a long drag, sighing as he did so. “If you want to end things, just tell me. You’ve been acting weird for a while now. It’s totally fine, nothing i’m not used to. Just don’t drag me along like a sick puppy.” 

“I’m not dragging you around and I never said I wanted to end things.” Well, he didn’t say it yet. He wasn’t really thinking of doing so until Itachi texted him. Now he was all sorts of confused. He hated feeling like this. He prided himself on knowing exactly what he wanted and not having fear of doing so. 

“You’ve been avoiding me all day,” He pointed out. “You ignored all my calls last night. And you left so abruptly, somethings going on.” 

“Nothings going on-“  
“You’re a terrible liar.” He jumped to his feet and was in front of his face in seconds. So fast, he thought to himself. He leaned his head down and looked up through thick, dark lashes. “Tell me the truth.” He murmured, the cigarette between his lips was dangerously close to falling out. Neji plucked it free and took a drag then blew the smoke in his face. 

“I’m not lying,” He lied again. Shikamaru kissed him. He was taken off guard so he let him. Shikamaru took the moment of surprise to turn him around. He grabbed his hands and before he could stop him, he had them tied with his tie. “Hey, what are you-“ He smothered is words with his lips. He broke the kiss and spat. He tasted like cigarettes. “Stop this,” He ordered. “Untie me.” Shikamaru wasn’t listening to him, though. He grabbed his pants and tore them down to his ankles. He could feel an unkindly breeze down there. Embarrassment flooded his body and he sputtered out a half-assed plea to stop. 

“You want me to stop? Your body says otherwise.” Shika grabbed his hardened cock and he lurched forward at his touch. He quivered, his body couldn’t lie. “Tell me the truth.” 

“I am!” He yelled. Shikamaru smothered his mouth with another tie. Damn, how many ties did he have? 

“Don’t make too much noise, our boss is down the hall. If he hears something he might come in and see you in this sorry state. Wouldn’t want that, now would we?” He asked, his breathe was hot against his ears. He shivered and quivered and silently pleaded for more. “Now, lets begin.” 

He pressed two fingers against his hole and slowly pursued inside, spreading him open. He moaned against the silk stuffed in his mouth. His cock was dripping wet with pre-cum. He hated to admit he loved bondage play, it was exciting and dangerous and such a turn on. But he rarely expressed this to his partners. 

“You like this, huh?” He asked him. He inserted a third finger and Neji was at his limit. “If you cum, you will be punished.” His words sent him over the edge. A shudder through his body and he was about to cum, but Shika pressed his thumb over his tip to prevent so. “I thought I told you not to cum? Tsk, tsk, naughty boy.” He pulled out his fingers and then in a moment he was wrapped something pinchy around the base of his cock.  
“What are you doing?” He asked, though it was muffled. He was feeling very uncomfortable now. 

“Now you can’t cum.” He looked down and saw a rubber band wrapped around his cock. Horrified, he tried to turn around to face Shika to demand he take it off, but Shika pushed back against the door. “Your punishment is ten spankings.” 

“What?!” He snapped. This was so unlike Shika. Was he really that mad? Perhaps he should just explain to him what happened. But he had to admit, he was very turned on. He wanted to cum. 

Instead of a response, he felt the sudden stung of hand against his ass. He yelped and the tie poured out of his mouth. Shika stuffed it back in and slapped him again. Eight more times and he was on the verge of tears. His ass stung so bad he knew he wouldn’t be able to sit on it all day. Shika knelt down then and started kissing him. He closed his eyes and felt the slippery wetness of his kisses and how good it felt against the red, tender flesh. 

Then he felt something very wet against the opening of his anus. His eyes sprang open and he tried to look behind him. He arched his back even more and then the feeling of coming rushed through him. But he couldn’t actually cum. This was becoming quite a pain. 

“I’m putting it in now,” He said. Neji nodded. He felt himself tighten around his cock as he entered him. “Relax, your sucking me, it’s too tight,” Shika ordered. Neji nodded again but he couldn’t relax. His legs were starting to feel weak. He could barely stand. Shika thrust deep into him and he bit the cloth hard and squeezed his eyes closed. It fucking hurt. “Good boy,” Shika breathed. He thrust deeper and deeper and Neji was on the verge of passing out now. It felt so fucking good. 

Shika’s hands grabbed his cock and took the binding off. He came the moment he was freed. He came again and then his legs gave out and he fell to the floor. Shika pulled out and threw him a towel he kept for these purposes. He untied the tie from around his wrists. There was no tenderness to his actions. He really was pissed. 

“Clean yourself up and get out.” He walked back to the window and stared outside. Neji cleaned himself up but the silence was too much for him. 

“Fine, I lied to you. But you had no right to do that to me. We’re supposed to be partners-“  
“Partners don’t cheat.” 

“If you already knew, why did you do all of this?” 

“Because I wanted to hear you say it.” He refused to look at him. “Just leave.” His voice sounded broken. Maybe it was his imagination. 

He threw the towel at Shikamaru and stormed out. He was angry now. His ass hurt like hell and his wrist was discolored. Everyone would know what they just did. 

He stormed downstairs and out the main doors. He couldn’t go back to work, not after that. He would apologize tomorrow. Today he just needed to be alone. 

His phone rang in his pocket but he ignored it. Once it stopped ringing he dialed a number he probably could never forget.  
When he answered, he said, “Hey, can we meet?” 

“Of course. I’m downtown now, I’ll come see you.” 

“Just come pick me up, we don’t need to go anywhere.” He hung up and texted him where he was and waited. 

A few minutes later a slick black sports car pulled up. He was at the train station, but they were alone. No train ran at this hour. 

He got in and greeted him with a kiss. 

“Whats wrong?” Itachi asked when they stopped kissing. Neji tugged his jacket off and then started unbuttoning his shirt. His body felt wrecked but he needed this. 

“Nothing you should worry about. I’m still pissed for this morning, by the way.” 

“I know, i’m sorry. I wish I could have been there when you woke up but the club needed me to come by. I should tell you, i’m only in town for a few weeks so I don’t want you-“

“Stop talking. I don’t need excuses. Just be with me, here, now.” He climbed on top of him and kissed him hard. He had his hair in a low ponytail today, but he quickly pulled it free. He liked guys with long hair. He sometimes felt like cutting his hair, but he knew Itachi liked his long too. Sometimes it felt like he wasn’t a person without Itachi. God, was he pathetic. 

Itachi grabbed him by the waist and hurled him onto the passenger seat. “Keep your ass in the air,” He ordered. Neji wiggled for him and obeyed. He dropped his head and his hair tumbled off his shoulder and came down like a curtain around his face. Itachi’s fingers were cold as he tugged his pants down. He brushed his fingers along the tender welts that were still fresh. “Who did this to you?” He asked. His voice was calm but Neji knew he was pissed. 

“It’s a long story. Look, i’ve been seeing someone, okay? But its complicated.” Itachi sat back in his seat and Neji fixed his clothes and sat facing him. 

“You shouldn’t see me anymore. You should be with him.” 

“But I want you.” 

“I know, but it’s dangerous for you. I swear, if anything were to happen to you I could never live with myself. Thats why I’ve tried so hard to stay away from you.” He looked so tired. Neji knew how hard it was for him to say these things but he hated it. “You should hate me.” 

“You know I can’t. You know you’re the only one I want. I’ve tried, believe me, I have. But I always come back to you. I just can’t stay away.” He reached out and cupped his chin in his hand. He turned his head. “Look at me.” There were tears running down his cheeks. “I love you.” 

“Don’t,” He whispered. He grabbed his hand and brought it to his lips. “Please.” Now it was Itachi who was crying. He shifted over and wrapped Itachi up in an embrace. Itachi pressed his head against his chest and they stayed like that for a long time. It was enough, for now.


	11. Meeting of Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part III of Neji's story

Itachi dropped him off a block away from the bar, at his request. He didn’t want anyone seeing him get out of such a nice car and getting ideas. Besides, he felt a little self-conscious after everything today. He needed a drink. 

The bar was dark and crowded. He walked in and immediately scanned the area. Shoulders pushed against him and he stumbled forward. A hand grabbed his arm and he looked up. Sasuke stood towering over him. He looked extremely intimidating in this light. 

“Oh, thank you,” He said. Sasuke let him go and looked behind him. Naruto poked his out from behind Sasuke’s broad shoulder and beamed. He looked too young to be in this kind of environment. “Hey Naruto,” He said and waved. 

“Oh, I think everyones over there,” Sasuke pointed out. They followed his gaze and Tenten was waving enthusiastically at them. They were crammed in the middle of the bar, bodies all around them shoving and pushing. The music was too loud to hear anyone properly. Neji led them through the thick crowd and was starting to regret agreeing to come out. He missed Itachi. If Itachi hadn’t gone to work, he wouldn’t be here now. He supposed it was good, though. He needed to clear his head. 

“You came!” Tenten squealed. He hugged her quickly and then walked around and gave Sakura a hug and sat down. He was glad they were getting closer, he loved Tenten like a sister and he was glad she had a friend other then him. They’ve been friends a long time, he knew how loving and sweet she could be. She needed a friend like Sakura in her life. “Oi! Are my eyes deceiving me?” She said, feigning surprise. Sasuke looked around at everyone and then shrugged. 

“It’s good for morale to come out every once in a while.” He sat down next to Naruto and Neji noticed how close they sat. If they were trying to hide their relationship they were doing terribly. Naruto had his arm slung over Sasuke’s shoulder and Sasuke looked uncomfortable to say the least but he was blushing slightly. 

“I’m glad you’re here,” Sakura said.

“Yeah but now how are we supposed to bitch about the boss?” Tenten asked, slurring her words together slightly. “No offense,” She said, looking at Sasuke. She teetered slightly in her seat and giggled. 

“None taken, I’ll go buy the next round to show my appreciation for my employees.” Naruto watched him go with an expression of deep sorrow. 

“You’re like a puppy whose watching his master leave for work,” He commented. Naruto looked over at him with a blank look on his face, then he broke into a smile and nervously scratched the back of his head. 

“Hehe, I guess you’re right.” He took a sip of beer and no one said anything after that. Sasuke was still gone, but its like no one knew what to say. Neji normally would have started a conversation with someone but right now he couldn’t help but think about Itachi. Whenever his mind calmed, his thoughts returned to him. He thought about Shikamaru too, but he only felt guilt right now. It’s not like he should, he did nothing wrong. They never stated they were exclusive. But what he did was wrong, he knew that. He needed to talk to him, clear the air. He couldn’t have what happened today happen ever again. His ass still hurt. 

“You seem out of it tonight,” Sakura pointed out. He met her vibrant green eye, like twin jades. She was good at reading people, a little too good. 

“I just have a lot on my mind.” Lame. 

“I’m gonna go for a smoke, do you wanna come with me?” She offered. 

“I don’t smoke,” He said. 

“Fine, don’t smoke. Just come keep me company,” She said. He couldn’t turn her down right now. He slid off his stool and followed her past the dance floor and out to the terrace. The moon was bright in the sky, glaring down at them. The music was faded once the door shut and he could finally think. “Brr, it’s cold as fuck.” She rubbed her hands together and blew into them to warm them up.  
“I didn’t know you smoked, Sakura.” She pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The brief flame warmed the air for a moment and felt rather nice. 

“I try not to, it’s bad for your health and what not. But sometimes I just have to. It’s my vice.” 

“We all get one,” He said softly. 

“I can’t imagine the great, illustrious Neji has a vice,” She said, laughing. She blew out some smoke and he watched it unfurl into the air and dissipate with the wind. 

“I’m not perfect, though people like to think I am.” He wasn’t trying to brag, it was the truth. His whole life he’s been thought of by others as this genius. Sometimes it felt like he could never make a single mistake in his life. Maybe thats why he clung to Itachi so hard, this person who was so dangerous and mysterious and unlike anyone he’d ever dated. He was also the first man he ever dated. It was freeing, when he admitted his feelings that brisk autumn day of sophomore year. It felt like he wasn’t tied to this title of “genius” any longer after that. 

“Are you seeing anyone right now?” She asked. She took another long drag as he thought of how to answer her. He didn’t want to lie but he also didn’t want to come clean. 

“I don’t know, actually. I was but lately i’ve been confused about some things. An old flame recently came back into my life and now I don’t know what to do.” 

“An old flame, huh? I envy you sometimes. It feels like you lead such a glamorous life, must be nice.” Whats so glamorous about it? He was caught up in a triangle of Bermuda degree. It didn’t feel glamorous, it felt exhausting. 

“Don’t waste your envy on me. There’s nothing glamorous about my life.” 

“Well, as someone who has no old flame nor a current flame, I disagree.” She dropped the butt of her cigarette and stepped it on with the heel of her boot. “You know, for someone who is dreadfully and eternally single, I offer good advice if you ever wanna talk.” 

“Thank you, Sakura,” He said, smiling at her. She nodded once then swung open the door and headed inside. The sound of the music blaring cracked his skull open and he decided to stay outside a little longer. 

His phone vibrated in his hand and he looked down. Shikamaru. He pressed answer and held it to his ear. “Hey,” He said curtly. He didn’t mean it that way but he was cold and his head hurt and he wanted to go home. And he was also still pissed about earlier. 

“Can we talk? I’m coming to your place so don’t try and say no.” 

“Then why’d you even ask? I’m not home, though.” He went to hang up but Shikamaru’s frustrated sigh stopped him. Why? Why did his heart hurt hearing him sound like that? 

“I wanted to apologize. Can I buy you a drink or something? We should talk.” 

He stood there in the cold and stared at the ground and thought about it. He wanted to talk too, but it felt too soon. His legs were still weak after car sex with Itachi. 

“I guess. I’m downtown at Tsuna’s.” He hung up and waited. Standing outside, away from the crowd of people made it easier for him to think. Although right now that was the last thing he wanted to do. One thing for sure, they were not going to have sex. Absolutely not. 

Shika’s car pulled up in front of him and he got out. 

“Hey,” He said as he walked up. Cigarette between his lips, hair a mess and hands shoved in his pockets. He exuded boredom and laziness. Yet it worked for him. Girls watched him as he walked up the steps and they met each other with a quick hug. He smelled like smoke and mint body wash. It smelled nice. “Lets sit,” He said. They found a table away from the other chattering couples. 

“What do you want to talk about?” He asked immediately. Shika leaned back in his chair and it wobbled back on two legs. He took a long drag of his cig and blew out. He knew how much he hated when he did that. But he let it slide. he didn’t want to fight right now. 

“I was a little harsh earlier, i’m sorry.” 

“Is that all?” He started to get up but Shika reached out and stopped him. 

“No, now sit down.” He hated being ordered around, he felt like he was doing a lot of obeying lately. Was he a dog? “I shouldn’t be mad. You can sleep with whoever you want to. And I guess thats not really the problem. I should have told you that I wanted us to be exclusive. Just because I was doing that doesn’t mean you should either.” 

“You want to be exclusive?” He was surprised. Shika didn’t normally talk about such trivial things. He seemed more the type to go with the flow and let things end when they needed to. At least, thats how he explained it when they first started going out. It’s not like Neji thought they weren’t exclusive, it never dawned on him to ask. Itachi was a special case, after all. Even if they did have that talk, he probably would have done the same thing. Which is why he felt so guilty. 

“I did, yeah. But now I don’t know. Its like a switch turned off on you and suddenly your done with me. I don’t like it, man. So you’re gonna tell me why.” 

“I don’t have to-“

“No, you don’t. But you should. I think I’m owed some sort of explanation.” He was being so demanding today, whats with him? 

“Fine. I met up with ex yesterday. He texted me out of the blue saying he’s back in town and I left you to go meet with him. I slept with him. The I went to work and you somehow found out. Though you are very smart.”

“Who is he?” 

“Why do you care? You don’t know him.” He didn’t know if that was true but he didn’t want to tell him about Itachi. 

“He must be pretty great for you to go chasing after him like a bitch in heat,” Shika said. His words stung, but they were the truth. 

“He was my first,” He said. “We met in high school, he was my senior. We dated for a few years then he got involved in some serious stuff and he ended it. Since then we’ve kept contact every few years.” 

“You still love him?” 

“I do.” Admitting it felt like a relief. But to do so in front of Shikamaru made him feel terrible. But he just couldn’t lie to him. 

“So what about us?” He asked. He was emotionless, his face devoid of expression. He knew now that he was just trying to protect himself. He wished he could know how he was feeling. 

“I don’t know, truthfully. I thought we had a good thing going but-“

“You’ve been pulling away,” He finished. 

“Yeah, I have. I wanted more but I didn’t want to ruin what we had so I kept my mouth shut. It was wrong of me not to talk to you about it, so for that i’m sorry.” He had more to be sorry for but for right now that was the best he could do. 

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you to choose. We’re both adults, you can sleep with whoever you want. To be honest, this whole thing is kind of a drag. I don’t normally get this involved with someone, it’s new for me. But I care about you, thats a fact. And when I think about you sleeping with someone else, I get angry. I won’t wait for you, but I will give you some time to think about things.” He leaned over the table and brushed his thumb across Neji’s bottom lip and then kissed him gently. He let him. It felt nice. When he leaned back, he smirked. “Just know I would never hurt you. In fact, I can make one hell of a boyfriend if I choose to. I like you, Neji. So you should choose me.” He tugged his bottom lip down with his thumb then licked it. He straightened up and walked away, waving as he did so. “See ya tomorrow.” Neji watched him get into his car and drive away. 

He needed a drink. 

He walked back into the bar but stopped in the doorway. The very person he couldn’t get out of his head was walking straight towards him. 

“Itachi,” He breathed. But he didn’t see him. His eyes were fixed on someone to Neji’s right. He looked and he saw Sasuke. He was watching Naruto as he told a story, quite animatedly. Neji forced himself to move forward. He stepped in front of Itachi. “Hey,” He said. Itachi blinked, he looked surprised. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked. 

“I should ask you the same thing. You also dropped me off like an hour ago. Why are you here?” 

“Sorry, I’ve been busy with something, I forgot. You shouldn’t be here though.” Just then three very large men in black suits stepped up around Itachi. 

“Is there a problem, Boss?” One asked. He had a scar running down his right eye and a very nasty scowl on his face. 

“No, every things fine. Listen, we should talk later, I have to deal with something.” He moved past him and his goonies pushed him backwards. He righted himself and followed after them. Like hell he was going to let this slide. 

Itachi stopped before Sasuke and waited for the younger brother to take notice. Naruto noticed first and his face went pale as snow. Sasuke noticed in a moment and turned around. He instinctively pushed Naruto behind him, shielding him. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked immediately. 

“You planted spies to watch over me? Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? I told you before, don’t follow me. Don’t try to find me. If you do, you will get hurt. Everyone you know will get hurt. But it seems like you don’t know how to take a hint.” He grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and before anyone could move, his knee was connecting with his stomach. He lurched forward and gasped loudly. The entire bar went quiet, the music seemed distant. Neji gasped along with the rest of the room. Naruto moved immediately and shoved Itachi backwards. 

“Don’t you dare touch him, asshole.” he grabbed Sasuke and peered into his face. Neji couldn’t hear what he was saying but he had an idea. 

“Do that shit again and I won’t hold back,” He warned Sasuke. He turned around and headed back the way he’d come. As he passed Neji, he didn’t even throw him a glance. Neji knew why but it still hurt. 

He watched him go. His heart felt heavy.  
He had a choice to make though. He wanted to go after Itachi, yell at him and make him see him. But he had an obligation to check on Sasuke and everyone. He looked back and saw everyone huddled around Sasuke. He took a deep breathe and followed Itachi out. 

Itachi was getting into a large black SUV. 

“Hey!” He called. Itachi held the door open and stared at him as he approached. He’d seen him like this before, this was the part of Itachi he liked to hide. He was doing business now, he wasn’t his lover Itachi. He was dangerous. “What the hell was that?” He yelled. 

“I’m not doing this here. Come by later and we’ll talk.” He said, then shut the door. Neji stood there, baffled. They drove off and he watched them go, fury building up inside him like a storm. 

He couldn’t go back inside so he took off walking. 

He felt hands around his body and something cold pressed against his mouth and suddenly everything went black.


	12. A Sorrowful Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finale of Neji's story

Neji's head was pounding and felt like it was gonna split open any second. He opened his eyes but closed them immediately, the light made his head hurt even more. He went to rub his eyes but he found he couldn’t move his hands. His wrists were bound together, it felt like duct tape or something. Now that he was waking up, he found his mouth was covered too. He tried opening his eyes again and after some time of blinking and wincing, he looked around where he lay on his side. He was on the floor of what looked like a warehouse. 

He wasn’t alone. 

There were two guys standing at the doorway of the room they were in. They wore all black, tall and built. They looked like mafia members or something. 

His heart stopped. 

There was only one conclusion to why he was in this situation. Itachi. 

This wasn’t good. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what they were doing with him. This was about Itachi. He didn’t know much about the world he belonged to, but he did know he was involved in some serious gang stuff. He was a boss, he knew that much. This had to have something to do with that. There was no other logical conclusion. 

Well, he could honestly say he never thought this was a possibility. Years of seeing Itachi and nothing like this ever happened. So this was what Itachi was so worried about happening. He supposed he had a point. But none of that mattered right now. What mattered was how he was going to get out of this mess. 

He worked out some, but he was in no way strong enough to break the binding around his wrists. He tried, but to no avail. 

He suddenly could hear voices, they were coming closer. 

A man flanked by two more armed guards walked through the doorway. He wore a purple smock and black pants, he had long black hair and he wore intense eyeliner that lined his almost cat-like eyes. He had on a white lab coat and a malicious smirk on his pale face. 

“Well, well, you’re awake. Good.” He knelt down before him and cocked his head to the side and smiled. “You are Neji, no?” He glared hard at the man. “Sorry, it’s hard to respond with that pesky tape over your mouth.” He gripped the edge and ripped it off with no mercy. The pain left him with tears in his eyes and a burning sensation around his mouth. It must have ripped off a layer of skin, maybe several layers. “Better?” 

“Who are you? Why am I here?” He spat. 

“Tsk, I ask the questions here.” He grabbed Neji by the back of the head, a fistful of hair, and pulled his head violently backwards. “I only brought you here to lure a certain person to come see me. You see, Uchiha has been slowly gaining territory in my area and that doesn’t make me very happy. So, he’s going to come down here to rescue his precious princess and i’m going to give him a little warning.” 

“Bullshit, you’re going to kill him,” He said. The man laughed, but the laugh was echoless. 

“You’re a feisty one. I see why he likes you. Beautiful and smart. A dangerous combination. Well, no matter. I have no plans to kill him just yet. I still need him. But I will take something of his today. Maybe it will be you,” He said with a sickening look in his eyes. He grabbed a chunk of Neji’s hair and then leaned down and inhaled deeply. Neji stared in horror. What a freak. 

“Get away from me,” He ordered. 

“As you wish.” He let go of his hair and stood up. “I’ll come by again to see you. Maybe your boyfriend will make an appearance, that is if he cares enough about you.” He started to walk away then stopped. “By the way,” He turned around. “Your friends are quite cute. If you aren’t careful I might swoop them up to join my collection.” He smiled with closed eyes and walked out. He reminded Neji of a snake as he walked. 

He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Itachi, don’t come. 

A few hours passed by and nothing. He just laid there, listening to the sounds of the abandoned warehouse. Every once in a while he could hear voices, but they faded too soon. He worried if Itachi would come or not. Of course he wanted to be rescued, but he worried about what will happen to him if he does show up. He could only imagine. And unfortunately, that was all he could do. 

The sun was setting, he’d been here an entire day. The light started to dim from what came through the windows. He wondered if he would die here. 

An hour passed, or what he assumed an hour. Time was starting to become an abstract notion. He no longer knew what time it was or what day it was. He kept his eyes closed and all he could do was think about what they were going to do to him. 

He opened his eyes, his heart stopped. The sound of gunshots far away startled him. He looked to the door and the guards that stood there were gone. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and listened carefully. The gunshots were coming closer. He watched, fear gripping his body like a paralysis.  
His heart was paused, his breathe caught in his throat as footsteps approached. A shadowy figure appeared in the doorway. A soft gasp escaped his lips as he took in the man before him. 

Itachi walked towards him with a expressionless face. He knelt down beside him and embraced him so hard, it was hard to breathe. Neji felt hot tears prick the corners of his eyes. Relief flooded his entire body, the tears started to pour. He would have felt embarrassed but all he felt was relief. 

“I’m so glad your alive,” Itachi whispered in his ear. He let him go and held his face. “Are you hurt?” Neji shook his head, he couldn’t speak. If he uttered a word he would break down and he desperately didn’t want to do that. 

Itachi pulled out a knife and slit his wrist bindings. With his hands freed, he felt free. “Come on, i’m getting you out of here.” He helped him stand, his legs were weak. He wrapped his arm around Itachi’s shoulders and let him lead him out.

It was dark so it was hard to see, but the gunshots were louder outside. He could see people running around, then the burst of light as someone shot someone else down. He didn’t know who belonged to who, all he knew was people were dying all around them. But he wasn’t scared. He should have been, he knew. But he couldn’t feel afraid, not when he was with Itachi. 

Itachi led him into the back of an suv, the one he’d gotten into earlier. He shut the door on him and Neji watched him walk into the battlefield. He couldn’t watch so he stared at his hands. His heart was so loud in his ears, he couldn’t even hear the gunfire anymore.  
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon the doors were opening and Itachi slid in beside him. The driver started the car and they left. 

“I had to take care of some loose ends. Don’t worry, no one is going to come after you again.” 

“You killed him,” He said. 

“Yes.” Hearing him say it, it startled him. Itachi didn’t look at him, but his hands were shaking. Neji grabbed them and held them tight. 

“I get it now,” He said softly. 

“I’m sorry,” Itachi whispered. Neji felt tears trickle down his cheeks for the second time that night, but for a very different reason. “This feels like a goodbye,” Itachi said. 

Now it was his time to say sorry. “I don’t want to put you in danger,” Neji said. “I can’t be the reason you get killed. Tonight showed me that.” He hated himself right now. He hated having to do this. It wasn’t fair. 

“Stay with me, just for tonight.” 

“Just for tonight,” He repeated. He hated this. 

They drove the rest of the way in silence. When they got to Itachi’s hotel, he was on the verge of breaking down. Itachi led him to the elevators, never letting go of his hand. For some reason he felt like if he let go, he would lose him forever. He held on with all his might. 

They didn’t turn on the lights to the room. They collided together in a fury of anger and sorrow and a knowing they would never see each other again. Neji was crying as he kissed Itachi’s bare chest. His hands shook as he stripped. Itachi ran his hands through Neji’s hair and stared at him with a fondness that Neji adored. He climbed on top of Itachi and kissed him. It tasted salty from his tears but he didn’t mind. Itachi cried too, and their tears mixed together. Normally he would hate this sort of thing, but he didn’t. He knew they wouldn’t be seeing each other after tonight so they made love like never before. It was tender and sweet and sad and heartbreaking and all of these things mixed together. 

Itachi threw him onto his back and entered him in one swift movement. Neji gasped from the sudden pressure and feeling. He arched his back and let out a sudden moan. Itachi leaned down and played with his nipples. They didn’t talk, there was no need for words. This wasn’t like the sex he had with Shikamaru. It wasn’t hot and passionate and lustful. It was sweet and gentle and desperate. He felt desperate right now. More so then ever before. 

They fucked until morning. When they couldn’t go on anymore, they laid together. Neji had his head on Itachi’s chest and he waited in terror that any minute Itachi would leave him. But they had to do this. He couldn’t be with him, not after everything. He knew this now. He could be mad, he could be furious with the world and with Itachi. But he knew it had to be like this. Itachi wasn’t doing this for himself, he was doing it to protect Sasuke and that wasn’t something he could fight him on. 

At some point he fell asleep, too exhausted to stay awake. When he woke up, hours later, he was alone. There was no note this time. When he looked around the room and saw all of Itachi’s belongings gone, he knew that was the last time he’d ever see him.  
His heart felt like it was breaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay well that completes Neji's story for now! There's definitely more to come with him and Shikamaru's relationship but for now he needs time to recover. No more angst, for now, just fluff!


End file.
